


Walking the Line Between Us

by daxcat79



Series: A New Kind Of Jedi [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, F/M, Minor Character Death, Romance, The Force, Tragic Romance, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-10-29 15:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10856676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daxcat79/pseuds/daxcat79
Summary: While the Resistance struggle to fight the First Order and find Luke Skywalker, Ben Solo prepares to make his final stand against Rey.  Unlocking the mysteries of her past and his may be the only key to saving her....





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to _Some Fight With Words, Others With Sabers_. This story follows SOME of the storyline in The Force Awakens, but there are obvious differences. Please let me know what you think. :)

**Part One**

Stepping foot on her homeworld was enough to set her teeth on edge. The village was smaller than the outpost she’d come from, but she’d known these people once, spent time here as a child. Memories floated around her in dizzying circles that were difficult to dispel. Everything about it was familiar to the life she’d left behind, a sickening reminder of her former self. She hated every second that she was forced to breathe it’s air. Her mission was the only thing that could have ever brought her back to this wasteland. She would destroy the entire world if she could… _and she could_. It was _oh so_ tempting.

Her mask kept her identity a secret, but Tekka would know. At Snoke’s insistence she wore it, but she was fooling no one. Rey was gone, but her impact on this world could not be erased quite so easily. The ghost of her former self raged on. It was demanding and powerful with so much to fuel her memories. There was no escaping her reputation. Tekka would see behind the mask and grasp at the straws of her past. He would not succeed in reaching her. No one was capable of that now. “Were you always this old?” she questioned with a menacing purr, hoping he felt the edge in her voice, twisting like a knife against his scrawny neck.

“Age is nothing compared to what has happened to you. You’ve come home to your family in disgrace.”

The response was meant to bite back, but it lacked creativity. Their shared connection would be his downfall, not his saving grace. Nothing would prevent her from her goals. “I’ve come for the map to Skywalker. I know you have it.”

“There was a little girl I knew… once. Your mask haunted her dreams.” His words hung between them like a threat. Tekka was a thread that connected to several points in her life. He’d known her family and helped bury their secrets. He was deeply loved by the Solo and Skywalker family. He’d been a friend, and perhaps a mentor. His connection to her was insignificant, but not completely undeniable. Though the old man’s words meant very little to her now, the threat was clear. _‘You’ve finally betrayed us, and now **he** will come for you.’_

“The map to Skywalker, you will tell me where you’ve hidden it,” she insisted, ignoring the words that hung like a lure from his lips.

He would not relent. “You claim service to the First Order, but you are not one of them, Kyla Ren. You will never be one of them.”

She crept closer to the old man, leaning down as the Stormtroopers held him steady. Everything she sensed from him was a distraction from the truth. The old fool was trying to keep her busy and away from his thoughts. He didn’t have what she was looking for… not anymore. He was useless to her now. “Would you like to see who I am, then?”

“The dark side means nothing to me,” he snarled in disgust.

She almost laughed at his empty words. His understanding of the Force was limited… pathetic. “That’s because you’ve never truly _known_ it. I can show you the dark side,” she whispered into her mask, and a large part of her ached to remove it so he could look into her eyes. She wanted him to see her face… craved it.

Lor San Tekka’s eyes followed down her arm as she ignited her lightsaber. Only now could he truly understand. “He won’t forgive you for this,” he finally spoke, a deep sadness in the tone of his voice.

She didn’t hesitate. “Good.” The lightsaber pierced his chest. There was something satisfying about the way her weapon glided into him. It was intimate. She could feel the life slip through her fiery saber. She could watch the very moment that shock turned to pain, and his eyes became empty. She hoped Ben would feel the death deeply. She wanted it to eat at him, send ripples into the Force with a message he was desperate to deny. She would not allow anyone to stand in her way. Least of all, Ben Solo.

The distant scream was the first warning that eyes had been watching. She’d already sensed him, of course. Watching Tekka be slaughtered had been just enough to pull him from the shadows, as he fired his weapon. The bolt from the gunman’s blaster did not travel far. It remained frozen in mid-air at her command. The effort to contain it was substantial, but she made it seem effortless. Her hand remained steady, with palm out towards the enemy fire and it’s origin. She was keeping the young pilot in place as Troopers rush off to grab him. It was a pathetic display of their abilities that no one had seen him earlier, but she was forced to endure the incompetence… at least for now.

The Troopers dragged the lone gunman before her, his eyes lingering in surprise toward the bolt shuddering in midair. He was familiar to her, a face in a crowd… a name on the tip of her tongue. She wasn’t willing to question him out in the open. Kyla Ren could tell he was of some importance to Solo, and was perhaps in possession of the map; but she’d only learn more using more advanced methods of interrogation. “Put him on board and execute the villagers. We’re done here for now.”

The young man’s eyes widened as he shouted, kicked, and struggled against those dragging him away. He was desperate to stop the massacre. She could feel his rage and drank it up like fine wine. If Ben Solo hadn’t felt Tekka’s death, perhaps he’d feel this. The last thing she heard, as she made her way back towards the ship, was the sound of blasters. Silence settled soon after, interrupted only by a lone blaster being released from her force grip.

*~*~*

His chest hurt. No… it burned. He wasn’t the only one to feel it, and his eyes lifted to his mother in time to see her gasp. His legs almost buckled at the suddenness of this pain. Ben’s father was the only one to notice in the temporary operations room where the Resistance had set up camp. “Leia? You alright?”

Leia’s husband wrapped his hands around her shoulders in an effort to hold her steady. Ben continued to clutch his chest. He could feel everything and so could she. Another trusted friend gone. Another life had been lost because of Rey. The mission was compromised, and he received her message well. A spiteful letter through the Force, aimed squarely at his soul. Each murder being inflicted was done especially for him, to call to him, and to push him away completely. Was it possible to build and burn bridges at the exact same time? Ben hadn’t believed so until now.

“I’m fine, Han… really,” Leia assured her husband, dropping a hand to Han Solo’s chest as the sensation passed. Her eyes rose to meet Ben’s. “Your mission,” she began. “I fear it’s been compromised.”

Ben wasn’t so sure. He’d made no mistake sending Poe Dameron. He wasn’t just the fastest and most skilled pilot. He was tough as nails, and the Force surrounded him like a protective barrier… the same way it had with Ben’s father. Destiny was a hard thing to resist or deny. They’d not been Jedi, but that didn’t mean the universe had forgotten them. “No,” Ben finally decided. “Poe will find his way back. I feel it.”

The small room seemed to suffocate him. His chest still throbbed. Was this his fault? Yet another splash of blood on his hands? He said nothing as he made his retreat, but sent his mother something soothing through their shared abilities in the hopes that he wouldn’t be followed. He just needed some moments of peace. Waiting wasn’t his strong suit. He was not patient like Master Luke. He was not as calculating as Leia Organa. He was disorderly and brash… like his father. Ben Solo, through and through. Perhaps it ought to amuse him that he’d inherited the absolute worst traits for a Jedi, but those traits were no better than the darkness that ran through his veins from his connection to Vader.

It seemed to take ages to escape the temporary structure hidden in the woods of Takodana. It was no more than a hideaway to avoid compromising their true base of operations on D'Qar. Takodana was safe, just between the dangers of the outer rim, but far enough away from the clutches of the First Order. The planet was especially sacred to him as a Jedi. The energy of the planet was constantly soaking up memories of ancient battles and all the Jedi and Sith now dead. The Force whispered to him here, gave him visions, shared secrets… both of the past and the future. With each passing day Ben could see everything clearer. More importantly, he could see Rey. Her connection to the dark side felt like a soft vibration in this place. He could tap into it in his meditations. He could feel her agony. He could sense her resentment like the heat of a flame with his hand floating above it.

The darkness was dangerous and powerful. It’s lure was unending. For a Jedi, it was a constant struggle not to give in. The potential power it promised was nothing more than stories, but it was an easier path, and there’d been many victims. The dark side made promises it could never keep. It was like feeding a sun more and more till it burned out of control. Eventually, the star would collapse and destroy everything it shined upon.

Ben knew better. He was very young when his parents had shared the horrifying story of Anakin Skywalker. It was the burden of his family, and they’d had no choice but to share it with him. It’s lesson had guided Ben down a better path than Rey. His mother had feared that heritage when she’d learned she was pregnant. They’d argued back and forth about when would be the right time to tell him. He was glad they’d shared the truth, no matter how disquieting. In some ways, it had brought them together. It forced them to face the demons they might have left unchecked.

_‘Darkness is in all of us, but we need not embrace it, young Solo.’_

Ben shifted his weight from one foot to another. Though he’d told no one, there was a voice that was strong and ancient on this planet. Master Luke would understand, and perhaps his mother, but the voice spoke only to him. It made known the Force’s will like a mouthpiece. He heard it best when he was meditating. It was preparing him. Teaching him beyond what his Master ever could. It felt familiar, the voice. It felt old and filled with deep sorrow as it whispered to him.

Ben did not yet know what the Force had in store for him. All he could do was try and listen. All he could do was wait. He remained observant to the changes and the echoes throughout the universe. He knew something big was beginning. Anakin Skywalker had been the start, the tipping point. The galaxy was reorganizing itself like a puzzle. He could almost see a pattern emerging, but so much was still unanswered and hidden away in darkness. Rey was significant. Of that he was certain.

He and Rey had a place in the grand puzzle, and it was side by side… just as with Han and Leia. He could feel it. Ben was the only one who could save Rey now, the only one who could bring them together as they were meant to be. To resist would be madness. It’d already wreaked havoc on her mental state. The Force wouldn’t be denied. Ben could only stare blankly as his hand covered over his chest, as if trying to protect the hole that didn’t exist. She’d killed people, so many people. She’d killed his mentor and friend, and the loss made him shudder. Each death was a direct attack against Ben. It was only now that he realized the truth. She was running from him… and to him. Only he could make her stop.

*~*~*

“This is crazy, you know that right?” grumbled Han, uneasy at the way his son was behaving. He was trying to understand, but just believing in the Force didn’t mean he knew what the hell it was thinking. “If Rey got to Tekka this fast, she’s sure to find Dameron too. You’re pilot is in for the fight of his life.”

Leia had that look in her eye, like she was drifting in another world. He hated when she stared off, though he’d seen it enough times to be used to it by now. She wasn’t just thinking or _feeling_. She was waiting, confirming something through ripples in the Force. The way Leia explained it, Han got the feeling it was like taking a drug that heightened the senses. He’d never been one for anything mind-altering, but his past hadn’t exactly been innocent to it either. The Force made people do things most didn’t. It made people brave, made them stupid, and sometimes it made them see things that weren’t there. He wouldn’t deny he believed in it now. How could he not? He was married to Leia Organa, daughter of Anakin Skywalker. His eyes couldn’t possibly have deceived him that much, and for this long. The Force was real, but he didn’t have to like it.

“Leia, I’m telling you… I have a bad feeling,” he continued on.

His wife finally seemed to snap out of the trance she was in. The moment Ben had walked away, clearly disturbed by something, she’d explained what had happened. She’d felt Tekka’s death like a burning stab to her chest, and felt the lives of everyone in his village violently fade away. “We have to trust our son, Han. I don’t like it any more than you do, but Poe is more than a capable pilot. He’s brave and head-strong… and one hell of a soldier.” Her lips curled just a tiny bit as she stared back at him. “He reminds me a little of yourself all those years ago.”

Han rolled his eyes. “You mean cocky and stupid?” He’d gotten old somehow. He wasn’t sure when it happened; probably while he’d been busy racing around the galaxy and getting lost in family life. Once, a long time ago, he’d been Captain Solo. He’d been the guy that would go chasing after Stormtroopers with a loud cry, rescuing princesses, facing down bounty hunters, and leading stuffed animals in the biggest fight of his damned life. A year later Leia had told him she was pregnant and everything changed. Time seemed to pass him by while he wasn’t paying attention. He’d outlived his usefulness to the galaxy.

“You haven’t changed that much,” his wife noted, as if she’d read his mind. Knowing her abilities, it wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility. His glare was half-hearted, and only succeeded in making her laugh. Leia pulled him back into the present, wrapping her arms around his waist, a fond smile gracing those beautiful lips. When he looked down at her he still saw the feisty princess from their very first meeting, still saw the determined eyes of a warrior, and the soft soul of his greatest love. “There’s a reason Dameron is one of my best pilots, Han. He hasn’t let me down yet. Something else you two have in common….”

*~*~*

Poe Dameron wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Certainly not _this_. Either he was just extremely lucky, or the Force really was on his side. His head ached from the intrusion of Kyla Ren, and his body was stiff from the tight restraints. He watched in absolute astonishment at the man standing before him fervently setting him free. “You with the Resistance?” That had to be it. There was no other explanation.

The Trooper seemed puzzled for a moment, as if he hadn’t a clue what Poe was talking about. “What? No, no, no… I’m breaking you out! Can you fly a TIE fighter?”

Maybe Kyla Ren had done something to him. He’d been around General Organa and Ben Solo enough times to realize how powerful Force users could be. For all he knew, there was no limit to what they were capable of. It could be a trick. Maybe he was dreaming? Or dead? Was Kyla Ren still ripping open his thoughts at this moment in a desperate search for more information about the Resistance? Poe swallowed hard and rubbed at his wrists as the last of his restraints fell away. “I can fly anything. Why, why are you helping me?”

There had to be an angle. He wasn’t just doing this out of the goodness of his heart. This man looked desperate and anxious for something only Poe could give him. “Because it's the right thing to do.”

Poe almost laughed, feeling a little less hazy. The drugs they’d given him during interrogations had long since passed through his system. “You need a pilot.”

The Stormtrooper paused, as if nervous he’d made the wrong decision. They had no reason to trust each other. “Okay! I need a pilot!”

That’s all he really needed to hear. “Then let’s do this,” he agreed. Heck, it wasn’t like he had any other options at the moment.

*~*~*

To trust the Force was to freefall off a cliff with just one’s wits and a parachute. Nothing was certain. Ben’s strong faith in the Force did little to settle his anxieties as he waited for Poe Dameron to make it home. This was the challenge that continued to break him. He needed Luke. The time had come to face Rey, but he couldn’t do that, couldn’t abandon his duty until there was someone to take his place.

_‘Trust your feelings, Ben.’_

_‘I don’t know if I can.’_

_‘Time… just give it time.’_

Ben’s eyes slipped closed as he reached out beyond this world towards the energy holding everything together. It moved like waves against the sand. It weaved through everything without resistance or hesitation. His mind was drifting, searching, demanding that the truth be revealed to him. What was he supposed to do? How long did he have to wait before he could see her again? His intake of breath was sharp and quick when a vision overwhelmed his senses.

_Rey was standing before him on the long metal bridge. One hand held onto the rail as the other gripped her saber. She hadn’t activated it yet, and he glanced down at the weapon briefly to see it was pointed towards him. Tears stained her beautiful face, and the agony in her eyes was unbearable. He wanted to free her. He wanted to save her. He just didn’t know how._

_‘Ben,’ she spoke softly, like a prayer. ‘Please, help me’_

_If he reached out for her he would surely die. He would be her final test, and her journey towards the dark side would be complete. The conflict was tearing at her, pulling her apart. She was tormented by his very existence. Her enemy. Did he dare ignore her suffering? Did he dare be the test that would confirm her fate?_

_The words came to him in a rush, as if his lips were no longer his own. ‘No.’_

He awoke in a different position than before. He was on his knees, and bent over. His forehead was pressed into the dirt. His hands gripped at the grass and rock as he pushed himself back up again. It wasn’t the truth he’d been looking for. It told him nothing about Poe Dameron. It did, however, feel important. It felt like the difference between life and death. For the first time Ben realized he might yet survive his encounter with Rey, and it shook him to his core.

*~*~*

A mouth full of sand and an aching head were more than enough to disorient Poe Dameron. His body was on fire under the boiling sun, but his memory of how he’d gotten this way, or where he’d been going refused to surface. Everything hurt, and obviously there’d been a crash. Had he hit something? Was he shot down? And if so, by whom? “Poe? Poe?!”

That name felt familiar, an identity… his identity. Someone was calling to him, but who? Memories danced at the edge of his consciousness, but they were just out of reach. Nothing was sinking in. He’d have killed for a glass of water… maybe a shower to wash the sand from his face. Someone rolled him over and the light shined through his eyelids and made him groan. His head tilted off to the side towards the desperate voice. All he could manage was a grunt in response. He felt like he’d just gotten into a fight with a Wookie, and it was quite possible he’d lost a limb in the process. He’d yet to actually check.

“You have got to be kidding me… POE!”

The sudden shout rang in his ears, and his eyes finally fluttered open. “What happened?”

“I should have found a different pilot to get me out of here,” his companion grumbled, reaching down to pull Poe up out of the sand. He’d dragged an arm around broad shoulders and was struggling to lift mostly dead weight. “Can you move?”

Poe hadn’t tried. Everything hurt too much to move, but this guy wasn’t giving him much choice. With some resistance (why did that word seem significant?) he managed to drag himself to his feet, leaning heavily on his companion. It was slow moving, but his limbs seemed to be intact… and in working order. That was lucky. “Where the hell are we?”

“What do you mean, where are we? We’re on Jakku! You insisted! Kept ranting about your stupid droid!”

“Droid? I have a droid?” Of course he had a droid. Right… an orange one. White and orange? Everything was still a bit fuzzy. He really needed rest, and the heat wasn’t helping him recover from the… crash? Accident? Attack? Right yes… there was an attack. Actually, it was more like an escape. His escape.

The guy keeping him standing was less than amused. “Hey! Pull yourself together! I can’t do this by myself! Snap out of it!” He rapidly slapped at Poe’s cheek a few times, aggravating the pilot. Finally a hand rose and he managed to catch the other man’s wrist. 

“That. Isn’t. Helping.” His growl emphasized each word, and the other man looked properly chastised… and maybe a bit nervous. Poe felt rather proud that he could intimidate a man who was currently keeping him on his feet.

“Oh… uh… okay.”

He needed to think. He needed to think and he needed water… and a ship. Definitely needed a ship. “I uh… I think we better head towards civilization.” Poe was still leaning heavily on his companion as his legs weren’t quite back to working order. The man felt solid against him, and obviously in better shape despite the violent crash. “We gotta get out of here. Find somewhere less out in the open.”

“That’s the first thing you’ve said that makes any sense,” said the dark skinned man holding him steady. With more effort than Poe expected, he took a step forward and felt his foot sink deep into the sand. Both men ignored the wreckage sinking deeper underground. 

“What’s your name again?”

“You called me Finn.”

Right. Finn the Stormtrooper. Finn the Stormtrooper that saved his life. He was starting to remember a little more. “Okay… gotta find that droid. Just feeling a little dazed, that’s all. It’ll come to me….”

Finn held on tight as they began their journey towards the nearest outpost. Both were sweating profusely and it was hard to hold on. “You need a shower.”

“You ain’t smelling so great yourself, Stormtrooper….”

*~*~*

The Star Destroyer loomed over her home planet, and she felt like she was being mocked somehow. Nothing had gone according to plan, and although she’d managed to retrieve information about the droid from the Resistance pilot, that same pilot had managed to escape. Their situation was becoming desperate. If that pilot… Dameron managed to find the droid before she did, the Supreme Leader would not be pleased. She would not fail her Master. She’d come too far to lose everything now.

Jakku was like a scab, and the itch was putting her in an especially volatile state. Memories washed over her like cleansing rain to put out the fire. She’d been on a mission with Ben Solo once. Master Luke had valued her knowledge of Jakku, and Ben hadn’t visited in a very long time. She remembered how fascinated he’d been with the waste left behind from the old Empire. She’d felt that twinge of shame and curiosity as he explored the ruins of an old base where his grandfather had once traveled… searching for enemies of the Empire, and the Jedi that had survived Order 66.

_‘He killed Jedi here…’_

_‘You can’t possibly know that.’_

_‘There’s a strange sort of burden being the grandson of a Jedi killer, Rey. This is your home, but that’s not what I feel when I close my eyes. I see fear. I see the wrath of the Sith. I think **he** may have killed someone here... someone important.’_

_‘You aren’t Darth Vader, Ben.’_

_‘No… but I am a piece of him left behind.’ She watched him crouch down and cup the sand in his hand. It poured out from between his fingers. ‘The dead are always screaming at me.’ He twisted his neck to look back up at her with haunted eyes. ‘Can’t you hear it?’_

“Supreme Leader Snoke was explicit. Capture the droid if we can, but destroy it if we must.”

The General’s voice pulled her from the memory, but his voice was especially irritating. He lacked vision or flexibility. He was caught between the rules and regulation of the First Order, but he knew nothing of what true leadership involved. Loyalty to the Order was useless if there wasn’t a brain to support that bothersome tongue. Kyla did not need reminding of the Supreme Leader’s orders. “How capable are your soldiers, General?”

“I won't have you question my methods.”

General Hux spoke as if he had some control over Kyla. He was gravely mistaken. He was a tool, a specific tool that could easily be replaced if he didn’t learn some humility in her presence. She wouldn’t be lectured by a man she could snap in half like a twig. “They're obviously skilled at committing high treason. Perhaps Leader Snoke should consider using a clone army.”

“My men are exceptionally trained,” Hux stumbled with venom. Every word he spoke made her eyes roll and her hands inch closer towards the lightsaber at her belt. “They… they’re programmed at birth-”

“Then they should have no problem retrieving the droid. Unharmed.” She had no interest in sharing her plans with the likes of Hux. He would obey the orders she gave him, or she’d find someone else with a more bridled tongue.

“Careful, Ren. That your ‘personal interests’ not interfere with orders from Leader Snoke.”

As if he could presume to know her personal interest in this mission… or that of Snoke’s will. The very idea was laughable. She would not waste her time arguing with a worthless cog holding up progress in her and the Supreme Leader’s designs. “I want that map. For your sake, I suggest you get it,” she responded, resting a hand to his firm shoulder and giving it a threatening squeeze. She’d considered killing him, but now wasn’t the time. She wanted that droid. She wanted that map that would lead her to Luke Skywalker. She would finish what she started all those years ago. The Jedi’s extinction was just as important to Leader Snoke, as it was to her. First she’d eliminate Luke Skywalker, and then finally… Ben Solo.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

Contacting the Resistance was no easy task with the likes of Kyla Ren searching for them, especially with BB-8 returned to their possession. Poe used the usual codes and channels to avoid detection, but he’d have to make it quick. Any transmission from Jakku would be monitored, especially if it came from a suspicious source. His memory wasn’t fully restored, but Finn had managed to get them both some water after they’d found shade where they could rest out of sight. Finding BB-8 had been pure dumb luck… or perhaps the little droid was more brilliant than Poe had realized.

They’re next objective had been finding a ship, especially once the Stormtroopers started showing up. They hadn’t waited around long enough to get noticed, especially with BB-8 in their possession, but avoiding detection would be impossible once he’d managed to contact Ben Solo and report on his progress. It couldn’t be avoided. The rusted junk pile of a ship they’d found was in desperate need of repairs if they were going to make it to lightspeed.

“Ow!” came a shout from somewhere behind him. Poe swung his chair away from the terminal, glancing back at Finn. He was sitting on the cold, metal floor looking especially affronted. “That little droid of yours shocked me!” he complained angrily.

“Then stop poking it,” Poe responded, hiding a lop-sided grin, spinning back towards his work. It would take a moment to connect with Solo’s communicator. He’d always been gifted with tech. He had to know the mechanics of most ships, being the skilled pilot he was, and how often he faced the danger of being shot at. The signal would be weak, and there was no way it’d last long, but he needed to make his update fast anyway.

**“Poe? Is that you?”**

Dameron smiled in triumph, and leaned forward into the comms. “Yeah, I’m on Jakku. Kyla Ren discovered me.” He paused for a moment, throat clenched in his struggle to share what he’d witnessed. “She… she killed Lor San Tekka, and everyone in the village.”

The comms grew quiet, and Poe had to check and make sure his news had made it through the weak connection. **“We felt it.”**

Of course. Ben Solo was a powerful Jedi. Lor San Tekka had been much beloved by Ben and his family (and Rey… before her betrayal). Poe licked dry lips and forged ahead with his progress report. “I managed to escape with help. He’s a Stormtrooper that defected. I wouldn’t have made it off Kyla Ren’s ship alive if not for him.”

**“Do you require assistance?”**

Poe shook his head, despite the fact that holocomms weren’t working. “We’ve stolen a ship. Planning to take off as soon as we can manage it. The shipyard we found looks more like a junkyard, if you ask me,” he criticized with a worried sigh. He could almost see Finn rolling his eyes at Poe’s high standards, but _he_ wasn’t the one who would have to fly the damn thing. If they couldn’t get off the ground they were all doomed, and Luke Skywalker’s life would be in grave danger.

**“Excellent. I see my faith in you was not misplaced. It’s good to hear your voice, Poe. We feared the worse after Tekka’s death. Was your mission successful?”**

Ben would know, just as he did, that ears could be listening in to their transmission even with all his efforts in stealth. He had to be careful. “They’re aware that my droid, BB-8, contains the map, but as of now I don’t think anyone’s going to find him. He’s disappeared completely, like that time on Yavin 4.” Yavin was his place of birth, his home. Any time he’d been able to retrieve an item, he’d report it’s disappearance. Any time he was requesting orders, he talked about Yavin 4.

He could hear a sigh and some static, and a mind-numbingly long pause. **“It would be dangerous for you to stay on Jakku any longer than you already have. You’ve got no more than a minute to get out of there… maybe five, before they detect your presence. This mission will have been a complete waste if you end up dead right in the middle of this war. Meet me at the castle and we’ll figure out a plan to get BB-8 back.”** Poe translated the coded message in his mind, pulling apart each sentence and following the usual cypher they’d designed. Jakku… no more than a minute or maybe five. Middle of this war. Meet at the castle. Grid coordinates J-15, mid rim… that was the planet of Takodana, if he wasn’t mistaken… Tashtor sector. Maz Kanata’s castle would be the logical place to hide out and avoid attention. The First Order would stop at nothing to get their hands on BB-8.

Poe had received his orders. “Understood. Black One, out.”

*~*~*

Everything was falling into place, albeit, not without some heavy losses. Ben almost managed a smile when he reported to the General (and his ever concerned mother), that Poe Dameron had checked in and was bringing the information they required to find Luke Skywalker. “You’ll need to prepare a ship the moment we’re able to analyze the data on that map. Will you be taking the Falcon?”

“No, she’s not,” Han Solo spoke from the entrance of Leia’s temporary chambers.

The sudden appearance of his father gave Ben pause, especially as he noticed the faint surprise on his mother’s face. She’d expected Han Solo to take her to Luke, as Ben had. Eventually, he found his voice, and responded. “Would it not be prudent that you escort her yourself? The Falcon is still impressively fast and highly maneuverable. If she runs into trouble-”

“Leia’s got her own ship, and frankly, I think the Resistance needs my ship more than she does. I don’t need the Force to see where all this is headed. Eventually, the Starkiller base will find us. Somebody needs to watch your ass and make sure we’ve got the ships available if we have to go up against that thing.”

“For once, I agree with your father, Ben. I can make the trip alone.”

Sometimes the Solo family lived separate lives, and it was a source of unending discomfort to the Jedi. It used to confuse him how two people, who were obviously desperately in love, could be content to be so far apart. Sometimes they were always from each other for months at a time. In his youth he’d been dissatisfied with the peculiarity of their relationship, aching for something more secure. He’d struggled with abandonment throughout his years as a teenager. The rose-colored glasses he’d once worn as a child were long forgotten. 

It wasn’t until much later that he’d come to realize why his parents worked so well together, despite their unorthodox relationship. The distance was like a release valve for the pressure. It wasn’t ideal, but passion had a price. The build-up could get volatile at times, and the moment they stepped away they gained the clarity they needed to come back to each other once again. He wondered how long it had taken for them to find their rhythm, to know when they needed release and when they needed to come back. This danced had served them well, and their love continued to endure the test of time with ease.

“It shouldn’t take long for Poe to make it back here from Jakku. Even if he manages not to get tailed by the First Order, this fight could get intense. I’m anticipating loss of life,” he warned his father.

Han’s smile was crooked and lacked any real amusement. “All the more reason for me to stay by your side and see this through to the end.”

There was a sudden burst of concern that twisted in Ben’s gut at the thought of Rey using his father against him. She was capable of anything for the sake of causing him pain. Han’s words from before returned to him like a slap in the face, and he was reminded of the intent behind this decision.

_‘Ben, I’d give up my life to save my family from that monster.’_

*~*~*

“Please, just get this thing in the air!” Finn shouted, in full panic as the ship shuddered and protested.

His message, although weak, had attracted the First Order’s attention. Poe had hoped to have a little more time, but that would be impossible now. They had to go! “Jeez, this ship is older than the Millennium Falcon!” Poe complained, and he almost wished he’d been flying _that_ ship instead… as if Han Solo would ever allow it.

Finn took the gunner seat to Poe’s left, giving himself a pep talk like some newbie fresh out of training. _Great, this guy’s gonna get us killed if he can’t shoot._ “Whoa!”

He didn’t even want to know what his new ally was screaming about. His eyes flew over the controls as he gained altitude. It wasn’t smooth, but the ship packed a bigger wallop than Poe was expecting from a rust-bucket. “Two TIE fighters on our tail!”

“I see them! I see them!”

“So shoot them! So shoot them!”

“Hey! Do you see me telling _you_ how to do your job?!” Finn responded defensively, shooting wildly as if in a panic.

“You can’t fly!” Dameron reminded him, pushing the ship harder. He needed to see what this baby could do. He kept the yoke steady, just barely avoiding fire, which was a damn miracle considering the aft shields weren’t coming online. They were weaving left and right, trying to find cover where ever he could. The ship was quick, and it looked like there’d been a large number of modifications, so much so, Poe could barely identify it’s type. It was flat with a curved aft section, like the Falcon, but definitely not Corellian. 

“Stay low!”

“I thought you weren’t going to tell me how to do my job,” Dameron growled, frustrated. The rust-bucket had great maneuverability, but they still weren’t picking up enough speed to outrun those fighters. 

“Staying low will confuse their tracking!” Finn explained.

Finally, some intel he could use. Sometimes it helped to bring along a defector. Dameron had been flying for as long as he could remember. He’d learned every trick, every maneuver, and even managed to make up a few. Flying was in his blood… and so was taking risks. He let go of the yoke and let’s the ship freefall, reaching for blaring controls that would usually have been covered by a co-pilot. He imputed a few quick commands to get shields back online, and check for damage. Alarms screamed and blared angrily. The ground was coming up fast. Poe returned to the yoke, keeping so low to the ground he could almost hear the underbelly drag against the rocky sand. He’d managed to get the shields up and working, but Finn had stopped firing. “For god’s sake, HIT SOMETHING!”

“I’m working on it!”

Their ship was hit with blast after blast, but aft shields were enduring well under the pressure. It’d been a quicker fix than he first anticipated, but they weren’t out of the woods, and he had no clue how long they could withstand these unrelenting attacks. Poe’s eyes widened as he just barely avoided a ship in the graveyard up ahead, a funny coincidence considering how close they were to being their own personal junk pile if Finn couldn’t take care of those damn TIE fighters. Still, he could use the place for cover. Finn may have failed target practice, but Poe knew more than one way to screw with enemy ships. He weaved in and out with precision, getting just close enough to make those fighters sweat. Ben Solo had entrusted this mission to the best, and Poe had no intention of letting the man down… or getting himself killed in the process.

“Come on… come on,” grumbled Finn as he shot back at the enemy, finally managing to nail a TIE fighter.

“Nice shot!” Dameron praised him, just relieved the guy finally hit something. _’Serves me right for putting a Stormtrooper at the guns,’_ he thought to himself with an impatient sigh.

“I’m getting pretty good at this!”

“Just one left to go! I’ll make it easy for ya!” Poe warned him, twisting through the graveyard. They’d reached the end, with a large cliff up ahead. He yanked at the yoke hard, and grunted as the ship shot straight up, and flipped over in a spin to face the TIE head on. The TIE fighter was just emerging from the graveyard, and wouldn’t be able to anticipate their attack.

“Are you crazy?!”

“Fire, damn it!”

Finn obeyed immediately, and Poe watches in relief as it was a direct hit. They flew through the disintegrated wreckage without sustaining damage, and he exhaled in relief. Finn’s laughter echoed out towards the cockpit. “Whoo!”

BB-8 was protesting somewhere behind Dameron, probably trying to recover from not being strapped down. Poe just smiled back at the droid and wiped the sweat from his brow. “That was close….”

*~*~*

They had failed… or rather, General Hux and his men had failed. Kyla’s fury was staggering as she faced her Master with disgrace. The dark assembly room was especially large, but to Kyla it pressed into her like a box. Her Master loomed over her, a virtual representation of the power he possessed. Her neck strained to look up into the sharp eyes of the wise and commanding Supreme Leader. Snoke was her teacher, her window into the dark side of the Force. Without his guidance she would never be strong, or reach her potential. She felt his presence like chains around her arms and neck, as a Master and an apprentice. They were inevitably linked by their shared purpose, but her failures would eventually be her undoing. There was no doubt in her mind that the Supreme Leader would destroy her… unless, of course, she destroyed him first.

“The droid will soon be delivered to the Resistance, and lead them to the last Jedi. Skywalker’s return would threaten all we have accomplished.”

Hux hand was fidgeting beside her with anxiety, tapping against his leg quietly, a new quirk recently discovered. She could almost smell the sweat drip down to collect in the collar of his uniform. He had every reason to be nervous since his men were clearly incompetent. Secretly, she would take great pleasure in watching his own failures come upon him with a violent end. “Supreme Leader, I take full responsibility for th-“

“You’re failure is noted, General,” Snoke dismissed with a wave. “We must change our tactics.”

“The weapon. It is ready. I believe the time has come to use it. We must destroy the government that supports the Resistance, the Republic. Without their friends to protect them, the Resistance would be vulnerable. We could stop them in their tracks, before they reach Skywalker.”

For once General Hux spoke well. Kyla Ren waited as her Master considered the General’s plea for action. They’d waited far too long to show the true power of the First Order. Her mind drifted to all the voices that would be silenced, and all the lives that would ripple out and crash against Ben’s soul like a Tsunami. It would leave him broken and wrecked. A final call. _‘I’m waiting, Ben… I have waited for this for a very long time.’_

“Go. Oversee preparations.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader!” Hux barked stiffly, rushing off to begin the task set before him. 

A silence settled between Kyla Ren and her Master. Eyes dug deep beneath the skin, and once again she felt the suffocating presence of his power. His probing was faint, at first, like the prick of a needle, but eventually proved to be all encompassing as it searched deeper into the barriers of her mind. “You are eager to face this test, Kyla Ren. I have felt it. Ben Solo, you draw him in.”

“He means nothing to me,” she assured her Master. She’d failed once, in killing Ben. She would not fail a second time.

“If you deny your feelings he will consume you. He is temptation. Do you not feel his pull?”

Kyla Ren’s hands tightened into fists as she felt him probe even deeper, searching. She focused all her energies on the hatred burning hotter than the stars. Fires consumed any doubts that were waging war inside her. Everything her and Ben ever shared laid like welts on her skin, and Snoke followed the path of memories from scar to scar. She wanted to be ready to face Ben, needed to be ready. The light side of the Force called to her, but she was determined to turn away. Ben called to her, but she refused to answer him.

Even now Kyla felt Ben reaching out to her. She felt all of him. She felt his desire and his longing. She felt his patience and determination. Her hands loosened, having gone white from the pressure. Snoke could sense the tingling in her hand from lack of circulation. They shook with the weight of the past. These were the hands Ben used to reach for. The woman, once called Rey, had never liked being touched; but she’d never said a word when his hand would interlace with hers. 

Hiding those moments from her Master would be impossible. Snoke would see everything. There was no denying her connection to Ben Solo. It would not be a test if there was no challenge involved. “Ben Solo will die,” she promised. “I am Master of the Knights of Ren. I will fulfill my destiny and destroy the Jedi.”

“We shall see.” Snoke’s eyes flash, and his grey lips curl in a devilish smile. “We shall see.” With one last nod he disappears from her sight. The room fell silent and still in his absence. Her eyes squeezed shut as her chest rose and fell. It was the first time since she’d entered the room that Kyla felt like she could breathe.

*~*~*

“What a hunk of junk!” Dameron rumbled, angrily. The ship shuddered, almost throwing Finn out of the co-pilot’s chair. Sparks flew inside the small cockpit. Poe just barely avoided being blinded, shielding his face with his arms to avoid being burned. The equipment was ancient, and the ship hadn’t been flown in years. Wires had long since rusted, and he was pretty sure everything but the chair needed a good cleaning. Alarms were blaring all around him, and he hadn’t a clue where to start. “Electrical overload… just great!”

“Can you fix it?” questioned Finn, eyes wide as he nervously surveyed the damage.

“And we’ve got a coolant leak…” Dameron listed, running a frustrated hand through his hair wavy hair. It wasn’t that he was ignoring Finn, but he really didn’t feel like answering the question. Instead, he busied himself with transferring power to the secondary tank, hoping to shut off at least one of the alarms currently making him go deaf. “If this hyperdrive goes there’s gonna be pieces of us in every system.”

“The hyperdrive is malfunctioning?” Finn asked. His voice had gone up an octave or two.

Poe managed to bypass the compressor, and gradually alarms were switching off. It was a temporary fix, but if it got them to their destination he’d kiss the ground and thank the Force, because they were in desperate need of a miracle. The vessel shuddered one last time, and he ran his hand over the console as if to soothe the old girl. “I think we’re okay… for now, anyway.”

By the time he looked over at Finn, the man was visibly melting into his chair with a sigh of relief. He even managed a grateful smile. Poe quirked an eyebrow, turning to face the man that’d saved him. With the immediate dangers gone, he was left with questions that could no longer be ignored. “You were really a Stormtrooper?”

“I…” Finn cocked his head to the side and shrugged. “Not a good one, obviously.”

There was something about this man. He saw the fear in Finn’s eyes and an innocence that just wasn’t natural to any Stormtrooper Poe had ever faced. He could tell the man was hard pressed to get as far away from the First Order as possible. With every second in flight, Finn’s muscles visibly relaxed. “You were on Jakku when my contact was killed, weren’t you?” It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened. The shock of watching an entire village be executed had obviously been too much for Finn to endure. He’d seen cruelty up and close for the first time, and it had terrified him. There was no way this man had seen much action. There was still a light in his eyes.

Finn’s mouth opened and closed several times, as if he worried Poe would blame him. “There was nothing I could do… to prevent those deaths. I… I’m sorry.”

Dameron shook his head and breathed deep, letting the air escape his lungs slowly. “Don’t blame yourself. You saved my life, and you helped me locate BB-8. You’ve done more than enough.”

The expression on Finn’s face was a mixture of gratitude and sadness. Poe may not have blamed him for what happened, but he’d watched a lot of men be swallowed up with guilt for things they couldn’t have changed or prevented. He hoped Finn wouldn’t be one of them. Silence descended upon them for a while, as if the heaviness of the atrocity had finally caught up to them. So many people were dead, and the First Order wasn’t likely to stop there. Their fight was just beginning. 

He wondered briefly if Finn would welcome the chance to oppose the First Order. The man was obviously terrified to go back, to face the institution that had turned him into a soldier. How he’d managed to break through that conditioning, Poe didn’t have a clue, but he had. His mind was strong. That had to count for something. It made him a worthy ally to the Resistance. And for some reason, with a flicker of appreciation, Poe realized he just liked having this defector around. 

Dameron cleared his throat and turned to the small droid by his leg. “Come on, BB-8, let’s see what you’ve got.”

It took great effort to pull aching limps from the large and surprisingly comfortable pilot’s chair. He exited the small cockpit and out into a larger area that seemed to be a lounge. It wasn’t fancy, but at least it was less claustrophobic. Finn and BB-8 followed. The ship was on auto-pilot with sensors functioning surprisingly well. He had no doubt if there was any more trouble, the alarm would be loud enough to be heard anywhere on the small freighter. His ears were still ringing as it was.

BB-8 rolled to the center of the room just as Finn dropped to the bench beside Poe. Both men waited as a hologram filled the room, baptizing the entire area in a shimmering, blue glow. “What’s this supposed to be anyway? What’s the map for?”

It was a covert mission, but Poe didn’t see any reason to hide the truth from his rescuer. “It’s an incomplete map to a lost Jedi named Luke Skywalker.”

“A Jedi?”

Poe nodded. “Ever since Master Skywalker disappeared people have tried looking for him, especially his family. I was sent by his nephew and his sister to retrieve this part of the map.”

“How did he disappear?”

“He just walked away from everything, and left these clues behind.”

“Yeah, but why leave?”

Poe had asked himself that question many times. He couldn’t imagine anyone walking away when the stakes were so high. The First Order needed to be stopped, and the Resistance was the only organization with the guts to do what was right. “I… don’t really know the whole story. Master Skywalker was training a new generation of Jedi to serve and protect the Republic. I think he had aspirations of a new Jedi Order, keepers of the peace. Something went wrong. There was this girl… someone very important to him. She betrayed him by turning to the dark side. Only he and his nephew survived. Rumor is… he went looking for the first Jedi Temple. Or maybe her betrayal was just too much for him to take.”

“Kyla Ren,” Finn spoke, his expression grim. “She killed your friend and everyone in the village.”

Poe’s eyes shifted to Finn, briefly. “Yeah.”

“Who was she? I mean… before she betrayed Master Skywalker and joined the First Order….”

A cloud of secrets surrounded Kyla Ren’s past and her connection to Ben Solo. It was Skywalker who’d been entrusted to raise her not long after the Empire’s fall. She’d been beloved by him like a daughter, but Master Skywalker had never fathered a child. Some still believed the rumors that she was Luke’s daughter despite the fact that he’d never taken a mate. There were whispers that he’d only refused to claim her for her own protection. Other rumors surfaced that she was the child of Han Solo and Leia Organa, another ridiculous notion considering they’d raised their _son_ proudly and without the shroud of secrecy. Poe Dameron had known the Solo family all his life. His parents fought along side General Organa during the oppression of the Empire. As a young pilot he’d been sent on missions with Skywalker’s Jedi. He’d been privy to quiet moments of fellowship with Ben and Rey before her betrayal. He’d seen, just once, a glimpse into what made Rey so special to Master Skywalker. The cloud of rumor and hearsay was so far from the truth, it was staggering.

With a sigh Poe leaned back against the cushioned bench, staring at the holographic map floating above their heads. Part of him wondered if Luke Skywalker would ever return to fight against Kyla Ren. He knew why her betrayal cut the Jedi so deeply. Skywalker had failed to protect her. He’d broken a promise to someone he admired and loved. He was both betrayed, and a self-judged betrayer. Her name held no significance to the rest of the galaxy, but it meant everything to the family he served. Her legacy had been long forgotten, nothing more than an echo from during the Clone Wars. “They called her Rey… Rey Kenobi.”

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The insane amount of speculation about who Rey is gets pretty overwhelming. Personally, I think it would be absolutely amazing if she was Kenobi’s granddaughter. There would be something weirdly poetic about the connection between Skywalker and Kenobi leading to this point, but with the tables turned.


	3. Part Three

**Part Three**

**Endor (The Night of Darth Vader’s Death)**

Darth Vader’s mask sat smoking on the wooden bench, overlooking the evergreens of Endor. From a distance Luke Skywalker could still hear Ewoks singing and laughing in celebration, but most of his friends had disappeared to rest one by one. With curious eyes he’d watched his sister Leia take Han Solo’s hand, leading him away from the bonfire where most had gathered. The intent in her eyes was staggering, though he was well aware of the changes in their relationship. He was left alone without a single glance in his direction, and the reality of this change in the three’s dynamic hit him harder than he’d expected. His mind already had too much process. He still wasn’t sure what to make of Han and Leia.

Luke gripped the wooden railing that surrounded his temporary hutt, looking out towards the village as if to follow the dark mask’s gaze. He’d watched his father die today, and he was the only one that would ever mourn the loss. The mask sitting beside him was melted and twisted, but Luke was haunted by the eyes that’d been trapped behind it. So many years fighting Vader, and perhaps this was always how their story would end. Skywalker’s head bowed low as he rubbed his face, desperate to gain some perspective beyond his own desire for attachment. Leia was all the family he had now, and it didn’t feel like enough.

_“You’ve done well, Luke.”_

The voice still sent a shiver down his spine. He didn’t turn around, but he did lift his head, running his mechanical hand through his hair and towards the back of his neck. “My father is dead.” It just didn’t feel like a victory.

_“You were able to do what I could not. You brought Anakin Skywalker back… one last time.”_

Finally, Luke turned around, leaning against the edge of the wooden railing. His eyes took in the face of the transparent Jedi that he knew as Ben Kenobi, wondering what more the Jedi had to teach him. The alcove provided them privacy under the shroud of tree branches. The Ewok’s village was built with thousands of connecting tree homes, and they’d set aside special rooms for their welcomed visitors and allies. The Alliance had been grateful, especially considering there was still so much to do. Even with the Emperor’s death, that didn’t exactly mean another tyrant wouldn’t immediately fill the vacuum.

“What am I to do now, Ben? I know this war isn’t over yet. Rebuilding the Republic, establishing peace in this galaxy… it just doesn’t happen overnight. All I’ve ever wanted was to be a Jedi like my father. I thought I knew what that meant. Now I’m not so sure.”

Ben shimmered under the low light of the bonfires burning nearby, and slowly he joined Luke, casting his eyes out towards the happy village. A proud smile touched his glowing lips before he turned his head to look at Luke. He took great comfort in the presence of his Jedi mentor, but it would take much more to dispel his anxiety tonight. He didn’t want to be afraid. His path was no longer clear, and the lack of purpose was bewildering. _“Luke, the life you have chosen is filled with much uncertainty, but you will never be without purpose. The dark side has been dealt a massive blow, but evil is always lurking, and you must be ready.”_

Luke leaned forward eagerly, pulling his weight from the railing. His eyes held Ben’s gaze and his hands clenched in anticipation. “That’s it, isn’t it? I need to rebuild too? A new Jedi Order?”

There was hesitation in Kenobi’s eyes, and he broke Luke’s gaze. _“There are others like you. Some, very powerful. You are the last of the Jedi. You are the only one left that can pass down what you have learned.”_

It felt like a mission, something new and exciting. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of him training others like Master Yoda, but was he really ready for such a responsibility? “Ben? Tell me… tell me what I must do,” he urged, his voice so filled with uncertainty and doubt. Sometimes it was still a struggle to trust his own feelings, especially now after facing the Emperor, and the conflicting emotions that followed his father’s death.

Finally Kenobi met his gaze again, and Luke saw a flicker of emotion he couldn’t identify. _“Luke… before the Clone Wars, I was much like you. My youth and vitality did me credit as a skilled Jedi, but I carried my own doubts as to the path set before me.”_

His eyebrows wrinkled as he stared at his mentor, leaning his hip against the wooden rail, arms folded as he regarded his glowing companion. “Doubts?”

Ben Kenobi took his time, and Luke got the feeling he was choosing his words carefully. He was telling him just enough, but leaving out something significant. _“For a year, my Master Qui-Gon and I… we were entrusted with the protection of a duchess named Satine Kryze. Her spirit was maddening.”_ A subtle smile on Obi-Wan’s lips made Luke tilt his head curiously. Ben had obviously gotten lost in his own story, remembering the days of his youth. _“She was… a very dear friend. I grew to respect her strong opinions and gentle heart, but I was blinded by certain desires that ran deeper than my duty as her protector. These desires almost consumed me. Attachments were forbidden in the Jedi Order. My judgement had become clouded.”_

The revelation left Luke stunned, struggling to process what his mentor must have been feeling. He stared back at Kenobi, swallowing down the lump in his throat. “On Dagobah, when Yoda was ready to turn me away….” Luke lost his voice in an instant, looking upon his mentor with new eyes and a heavy heart.

Kenobi shook his head, and lowered his gaze. _“I was reckless, yes… much like your father. I allowed my passions to take hold for a time, but Qui-Gon brought me back to my senses. As time passed and I focused on training your father, I thought the foolishness of my youth was behind me. I was wrong.”_

When Kenobi seemed hesitant to continue, Luke realized then, that this story would not end well. Even the blue glow of his mentor seemed to dim and fade. “Obi-Wan… what happened?”

Finally, Ben Kenobi summoned the strength to continue, his voice sounded hollow to Luke’s ears. _“Satine and I were reunited for a brief time towards the end of the Clone Wars. Although I was determined to hold fast to my duty as a Jedi Knight, in a moment of weakness… I fathered a child… a boy. Satine hid the truth from me and was killed soon after his birth. Her sister came to raise the boy in hiding, well aware that if the truth were ever to come out, it would put him in grave danger. It would make him a target for Darth Vader’s revenge.”_

Luke’s eyes widened as the reality of Kenobi’s words struck him. “You expect me to find him?” he guessed, overwhelmed by the possibilities. Ben Kenobi was like family, a father figure in the absence of Anakin Skywalker. His uncle had always been kind, but they’d never been capable of connecting the way he did with Obi-Wan. The prospect of there being someone else like him, someone connected to the Force… the son of Kenobi, it was just the beginning Luke desired most. However, his excitement diminished as he looked back at the haunted eyes of his mentor, and he realized there was more to Ben’s story. “What aren’t you telling me, Obi-Wan?”

_“Anakin Skywalker was a cunning Jedi, and his powers only grew stronger as he became Darth Vader. His hatred for me lived on even after he struck me down. Vader was able to track down my son just days before he came to face you here on Endor. I… could not prevent my son’s capture. His fate remains shrouded in darkness… even to me.”_

The regret and anguish cut into him like a sharpened blade, and his hopes bled out from the resulting wound. Once again he was reminded of how much suffering his father had caused, especially to the people Luke valued most. Shame overwhelmed him. Here he’d sat mourning the loss of a murderer, a tyrant, while Ben was powerless to protect the son he’d never known. “Ben I… I’m so….” He was at a loss for words. Guilt ate at him, and he wondered if there was anything he could have done. He’d been so intent on helping Leia save Han… while his father had stolen away Ben Kenobi’s only son. “I could have stopped it… I should have stopped it. Why didn’t you tell me?!”

_“There was nothing you could have done, Luke. You must understand that,”_ Ben assured him, though the sorrow on his face glowed under the flickering lights of his hut. Obi-Wan took a step towards Luke, staring deep into his eyes. _“My son’s fate remains a mystery, but I have not lost hope.”_ Luke’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. _“Rebuild what your father destroyed, Luke. Become a force for good as this galaxy rises from the ashes of the Empire. And perhaps… in time… you may uncover the fate of my only son….”_

**Takodana (Present Time)**

“You’ve got quite a mess on your hands, haven’t you?”

“Maz, don’t start with me.” Ben Solo took a long sip of the horrible bantha fodder Maz called alcohol. He hadn’t ordered it for the taste anyway. He just liked the buzz it gave him. “I only came in here for a drink.”

“The cafeteria and cantina is upstairs,” Maz remarked, narrowing her tiny eyes at him. She pushed off his boots from a large crate he’d been using to rest his feet, and planted orange hands on her narrow hips. He knew the crate held certain weapons and a few of his family’s personal effects. As a child he’d once stumbled into the quiet storage room, only to discover a lone lightsaber that once belonged to his uncle. Ben wasn’t sure if Maz still had it, or how she’d retrieved it, mostly because he didn’t care. It didn’t bother him so much that the lightsaber existed, but when his hands had slid around it… he’d heard his grandfather’s voice. The nightmares that followed lasted at least a week. 

“You really want me blending in with the locals up there?” he questioned with a nod up above them, towards the large room full of smugglers and thugs. The Castle was a watering hole for anyone of ill repute. His father’s friendly relations with Maz was a useful connection when anyone in the Resistance needed a favor. If she couldn’t help, she knew someone else who could. “Not sure my father would approve of that.” He took another sip of his drink and tried not to grimace.

“Your father… your father… since when have you ever given a flying kriff what _he_ approves of?” she questioned with a cackle that made his lips curl. 

Ben liked Maz Kanata’s castle crypt room for the quiet, mostly. It was stuffed with treasures from all the years she’d adventured through the galaxy, acquiring what no one else could (no doubt, stealing most of it). She loved art, mostly, and there were several bins filled with rolled up paintings and a few musical instruments that did nothing but collect dust. Maz had a special appreciation for anything with a specific history, weapons of the Jedi or the Sith, for example. She was more than just a ‘pirate queen,’ and there wasn’t a smuggler alive that hadn’t come to respect her. Her abilities with the Force continued to impress him, and her sense of humor had grown increasingly twisted. “Sometimes I think he’s just another voice in my head that won’t get out… telling me what to think and feel. It get’s pretty crowded though.” Ben closed his eyes briefly, tapping on his temple with his free hand. “I’m not always sure what he wants from me.”

“Han wants what he always wants. His family… safe,” Maz answered with a dismissive wave. He knew that, of course, but it was the last thing Ben could give him.

“Maz?” He watched her sorting through the lost treasures of her storage room, finding a large wooden box, she pulled out what looked like an old bottle of Alderaan Ruge Liqueur. He wondered for a moment if his mother had requested it. Kanata was good at finding rare relics from planets long gone. Maz shoved down her goggles for a moment, reading the bottle, before she twisted her neck to look back at Ben. He took one final sip of his drink, shifting on the crate to sit up straight, rather than rest against the damp walls made of ancient stone. “Maz, is it possible to hate someone you love?”

Kanata hadn’t known Rey well. She’d met her once or twice, but their interactions had always been brief and slightly awkward. Maz had lived a very long time, and she was good at seeing things no one else saw. Thinking about it now, Ben was fairly certain Rey had purposely avoided her for just that reason. “A better question… when it comes to the ones we hate, is it possible _not_ to love them?” Ben stared blankly, fairly certain she was making less sense then usual. Maz continued on with her reasoning. “Hate is very strong, Ben. It’s one of the strongest emotions in this universe with the exception of love. I don’t believe that’s a coincidence.”

Her answer made him smile once more, as always, impressed by her eccentric views. “So what you’re saying is… it’s not possible to hate without love, or love without hate? One follows the other? Or maybe they’re just interchangeable?”

Maz drew closer to Ben, still clutching the bottle of Liqueur. He had to resist the urge not to move back and away from her strong gaze, and her sudden presence in his personal space. For a woman just over a meter in height, she could be downright intimidating when she wanted to be. “I am _saying_ … don’t let Rey Kenobi kill you before she’s had a chance to face her feelings… with clarity and truth.”

Well… he certainly couldn’t argue with that.

**“Jedi Solo! Poe Dameron’s ship has landed!”** Ben looked down at his pocket where he’d stashed his comlink. A burst of static filled the small storage room, and he shoved his hand in his pocket to retrieve the small device.

“I’m coming,” he responded to whoever his mother had sent to deliver the message. He switched off his comlink, once more, and returned it to his pocket. His focus returned to Maz Kanata. “You’re a wise old woman, Maz.”

Maz simply shrugged. “Take this Liqueur to your mother. Now we are even.”

Ben didn’t bother to ask how Maz, of all people, had ended up in debt with General Leia Organa. Instead he climbed off the crates of storage and took the bottle from Maz’s hands. “See ya around, Maz.”

He’d just barely made it to the steps when Maz called out to him. “Tell my boyfriend to see me before you all leave!”

*~*~*

Leaves crunched underneath Ben’s feet as he walked deep into the forest. There was just enough daylight for him to make it back to camp, and prepare for the journey back to D’Qar. The temperature had dropped since morning. His eyes roved over his surroundings as he continued on. Trees swayed back and forth making creaking sounds, but other than that, everything seemed strangely still. His lightsaber hung loose on his hip, gently tapping against the alcohol in his hand for General Organa. He chanced a glance down at it as if to assure himself that he was armed. Uneasiness settled in his belly, a bad feeling he’d learned never to ignore. Something felt off.

_‘I want you to feel this….’_

Ben froze upon hearing _her_ voice. “Rey?!” Realizing, for the first time, that he was feeling a presence, his eyes once again roved over the forest. He turned around several times, eyes darting over every inch of the woods surrounding him, desperate to locate the source. “Rey!”

_‘Feel this!’_

The bottle for his mother dropped to the ground first, echoing in the silence. His eyes went wide. The impact was sudden and relentless. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t speak. The voices screaming in his mind were deafening, and he clasped his hands over his ears. Screaming and silence. A rain of fire that engulfed everything and everyone; over and over again it happened to billions of people. Billions of lives wiped out in an instant. Ben fell to the ground as if he’d been physically attacked. He crumbled to the dirt in shock, clutching at his ears to drown out both the screams and the silence that were cascading on his sensitive mind. “Rey, no!” he whispered with tears in his eyes. His body shuddered with another attack, more deaths, so many lives it was staggering. He could feel them all in wave after wave of fiery torment and cold dread. “NOO!”

His head hit against a rock, blurring his vision. He rolled onto his back, desperate to catch his breath. Fire filled the sky with genocide brought on from Starkiller base. Ben’s hands left his ears and his fingernails dug into the dirt. Up past the trees he could hear the sudden roar of First Order ships enter Takodana’s atmosphere. His mind could process none of it. In a single moment he’d endured the extinction of billions upon billions of citizens under the Republic. An entire government wiped from existence. Everyone was dead.

“Rey….”

His vision went dark.

*~*~*

“I’ve tried his comlink, but he’s not answering! We have to get out of here now! There isn’t much time!” urged one of Leia’s personal officers. The ground shook as First Order fighters continued their assault. They hadn’t yet located the small camp hidden deep in the forest, but the attack was loud and destructive, just east of Leia’s vessel. East… east of their position was Maz Kanata.

Han’s eyes lifted to Leia, both concerned for the safety of their son. “They’re attacking Maz’s Castle,” he told her with a low growl. _‘Where Ben was…’_ the words were left unsaid.

“They followed us here! How could they have been tracking us?!” asked the dark-skinned Stormtrooper that had helped Poe Dameron escape, Finn. Han could see the terror in his eyes as clear as day. Another distant explosion had them all gripping the bolted table in his wife’s personal ship.

“TIE fighters overhead! They’ve found the camp!” shouted Poe from the ramp.

“General Organa!” urged Leia’s officer, eager for his orders. She was still staring at Han. He saw the conflict in her eyes, and he didn’t need the Force to know why. She had a duty to the Resistance, to finding Luke, but she was still a mother. She’d fought the Empire to avenge her planet and stand up for freedom. She fought the First Order… she’d built the Resistance and everything it stood for, all for Ben Solo and their hopes for his future.

“Go.” His voice was quiet, but unwavering. _‘I’ll get our boy back.’_ “If they get that map, all of this will have been for nothing. Leia… go.” He’d watched her endure the crippling wave of destruction from Starkiller base through the Force. What had she said? Billions were dead? Billions. The First Order’s weapon had single-handedly taken the galaxy, and the Resistance was all that was left to fight what was coming. His wife’s eyes shined with unshed tears, and he knew instinctually, that she was being torn apart.

“The ship I stole won’t make it through another jump into lightspeed. We’ll have to split up!” Poe warned them.

Leia found her voice finally, swallowing down the lump in her throat. She turned to the Stormtrooper beside her. “Finn, do you think you can help my pilot navigate us through this attack undetected?”

Finn eagerly nodded. “I know a few weaknesses we can exploit!”

“Good. Poe, take the helm. You’ve gotten that map this far, you might as well be the one to take us home!” she ordered. Dameron nodded and rushed toward’s the cockpit of Leia’s ship with Finn right behind him. BB-8 whined underneath her as part of the camp erupted in flames. Leia turned to the officer that had tried to contact Ben. “Send a message to Black Squadron! Tell them to get ready to cover our escape! We’ve got to get this map back to D’Qar!” The officer immediately rushed off towards the communication’s console down below them. 

The moment they were alone, Han watched Leia bypass the table and grip the front of his tunic, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. This was how they’d always said ‘goodbye’. It was a trend they’d adopted since his carbon freezing during the start of their relationship, and it had endured years of arguing and warfare… and everything else in between. They never knew which ‘goodbye’ would be their last. The next explosion felt much closer, but that didn’t stop him from grasping her hips and pulling her solid against him. He kissed her with urgency, with passion, and just a hint of tongue. Hell, why not?

Leia broke their kiss with a breath, and stared into his eyes. “Find our son and bring him home,” she urged.

Han wasn’t always good at taking orders from his wife, but this one, he’d gladly follow. “I will.” One last kiss, and he forced himself to leave the ship. He reached for his comlink, running east towards the Castle. “Chewie! Get the Falcon ready for a quick escape! I’ll be there as soon as I find Ben!”

*~*~*

He awoke. It was sudden and violent, sitting up and feeling every muscle protest. His head ached, and when he touched his temple, he could feel the stickiness of blood against his fingertips. She was close, he could feel it. Ben pulled himself up and turned around. There wasn’t much light getting through the thick forest, but he could still see. The bottle of Alderaan Ruge Liqueur lay forgotten at his feet. He winced as he heard screaming and explosions from the east and towards the west. The First Order had found their temporary camp. “Oh no….”

_‘I’m here.’_

In seconds Ben’s saber ripped from his belt and into his hand, the blue glow of his weapon made it much easier to see. His eyes remained focused, ears straining through the chaos to hear her, and he could feel a presence… so close. She’d landed a ship to find him. She was looking for him. This was it. His heart pounded in his chest like mad. He wasn’t sure how he’d managed to keep his hands from shaking. Wasn’t this what he’d been waiting for? A final chance to face the woman he loved? He didn’t feel ready. All the calm and confidence from before had faded, and in it’s place was nothing but panic. 

“Ben! Ben, where are you?!”

“Father… no!” he screamed in dread as he realized how close Rey was to his location. She’d use Han Solo against him… anything to make him suffer. He bolted from his position towards his father’s voice, desperate to send him back where he’d come from. Leaves rustled as he heard his father’s quick pace, and he turned off his lightsaber just long enough to launch himself in his father’s arms. “Go back! Go back now!” he demanded.

Han Solo was out of breath, panting against Ben’s ear as he gripped his son. “The First Order’s found us. I gotta get you back to the Falcon.”

Ben pulled away, hands clutching his father’s biceps. “It’s too late for that! You must leave without me!”

“The hell I am!” Han protested.

How could he make him see? “No, no, no! You don’t understand! Rey is close! She’s here for me! You must leave NOW!”

“Ben I-” the sound of a lightsaber igniting cut off his father’s words. Hazel eyes peered past Ben’s face towards the glow of red. The younger Solo stilled, turning around, instinctually pushing his father back and away.

The woman that greeted his eyes was a stranger of darkness. The black leather hugged her curves, enveloping skin from her neck down. There was no helmet to hide away her face, there was no need to protect her identity. The lightsaber of red was unstable, looking more like fire than a clean blade. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun, with just a few strays slipped behind her delicate ears. She’d been waiting for this moment. So had he, but this wasn’t how he’d envisioned it at all. It was too soon. Too _soon_.

“Two Solos for the price of one. Supreme Leader Snoke will truly be pleased.”

Ben ignited his own lightsaber and held it up. “Father,” he whispered, tightening his grip on the weapon. Han Solo stood behind him, as still as stone. Panic surged through his veins. Fear and anger settled over his mind, but he didn’t have the strength to banish what gave him power. He couldn’t let Rey get to his father. He wouldn’t allow her to kill his family… not one more person… and certainly not him. Ben licked dry lips and gritted his teeth as he took his stand. “Please.” _‘Rey no… not him.’_ “Father. Run….”

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you've never seen the Clone Wars, Satine Kryze will mean nothing to you, but so far the series as been canon. I absolutely loved her character. She was a great expansion into Obi-Wan Kenobi's real personality, that he wasn't just some perfect Jedi that failed to keep Anakin from the dark side. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think! :)


	4. Part Four

**Part Four**

“Ben....”

“I said GO!” Ben Solo screamed, his voice echoing in the empty forest as Rey rushed towards them and swung her lightsaber high. Ben stepped up to meet her and their sabers clashed with a resounding whine as opposing forces of red and blue became one. The impact was so violent he felt the sparks burn at his neck, felt the heat of her blade just inches from his face. Anger surged through him like a virus, but he refused to attack her. Each blow was met with defense, and each aggression was deflected to protect his father.

The last time they’d fought it felt like a dance. Their moves were in sync, two steps forward, and one step back. Each time their blades crashed together, he felt her pressed against him, could smell sweat and grit from the explosion that had almost taken his life. They danced with fire and rage, confusion and conflict. His senses were alive, but so were hers. The last time they fought it was clear neither was willing to yield, but neither were they in any hurry to triumph. It was different this time. There was no dance. The danger was real and present. Her aggression with each swing of her saber was murderous and grisly. He could sense her desire when her eyes saw past him towards Han Solo. This time, Kyla Ren was out for blood.

Ben could feel his father’s conflict. Han Solo, for all his faults, was not the kind of man to turn tail and run. He certainly didn’t retreat when it meant leaving his son behind. Ben felt helpless, even as he fought Rey off. She was relentless and calculating. He watched her hand rise as she used the Force to drag his father closer, and he immediately swung his own saber towards the out-stretched hand. He just barely missed the limb as she pulled back, and swung upwards towards his legs. Ben managed to move out of the way just in time. Her technique was wild and unyielding, making her much more unpredictable. She gave him no reprieve. His father grunted in the dirt, dazed, unaware of how much danger he was truly in. Han’s blaster had been knocked out of his hand into the foliage, leaving him nothing to defend himself with. Ben could not let her prevail.

His father staggered to his feet once more, but Rey flung him towards a tree, forcing Ben to dive before she could rush him. He tripped her up, and used the momentum to block her from his father’s reach. “My ankle,” grunted Han, gripping a tree trunk, and struggling to right himself despite the pain. “Ben!” The urgency in his father’s voice was lost as Rey’s saber slammed against his own. Sparks of blue and red, the crackle of their weapons, the growl that escaped her as she eyed her victim.

“Rey! This is between you and me!” He was desperate to reason with her, to reach out and find the humanity he remembered.

She shoved him down with the Force, but he flung her away from Han. It felt like he was trying to stop waves from crashing against the rocks. He couldn’t protect Han Solo like this forever. “No! That’s where you’re wrong, Ben!” she responded, pulling herself back up again and reigniting her lightsaber. “This fight is between your _family_ and mine! I won’t rest until every one of you is dead!” Her arm reached out as a heavy tree branch flew towards Han’s head. His father’s eyes widened as he ducked down, yelping from putting weight on his injured leg. She was dragging him once again, Han’s fingers digging into the dirt in his desperation for grip.

“Rey, NO!” The Force had always been strong with his family, but the opposing forces of light and darkness raged a war inside his soul. The legacy of Anakin Skywalker against the pure heart of his mother left him in constant conflict. The lines blurred together and clashed with every step Rey took… edging closer to his wounded father. His scream vibrated through the forest with a resounding boom as he spun and swung his blade towards her left arm. She deflected too late, losing her concentration and her grip on his father. He watched his weapon make contact with her skin. Rey’s shout of pain was brief, but she still had use of her limbs, and she was not giving up. Again she tried to drag Han Solo towards her, and again he pressed her back and away. 

He felt unhinged. Control escaped him as the virus invaded deeper into his system, and the anger reached a boiling point. Her eyes shined in fascination. “Your thoughts betray you, Ben! I see who you really are!”

“No!” he insisted despite the rage. He swung left and right, watching her duck and roll past him. He used the Force to throw her away from Han Solo, while the man staggered to gain his footing once again. Every single time his father managed to get to his feet, Rey was dragging him back down again. “I’m not Darth Vader! I am NOT a murderer!”

The words felt distant and diminished, as if it wasn’t him speaking. Rey ran forward, wrists twisting as she made her attack. Her arms rose and she swung down hard. Instead of deflecting, he went low and elbowed her ribs. He was trying to protect his father, but he wasn’t yet ready to sacrifice Rey either. She grunted from the impact and flipped out of the way as he pressed forward. “Let’s not fool ourselves, Ben! This is destiny! Your grandfather and mine started it all, don’t you see?!” Her words made little sense to him. All that mattered was keeping his father safe from her… and his resolve to protect Rey was crumbling fast.

“For cryin’ out loud, Ben! We’ve got to get out of here!” Han Solo shouted in frustration.

Ben moved closer to his father as Rey circled them like prey. Her eyes were a fiery red. “You fail to see the big picture! The war that began on Mustafar never ended! You and me… we can take it to the end!”

He could feel his heart pounding like a drum, he struggled for breath, watching her every move, and anticipating her next attack. “I… I don’t understand,” he admitted. “What war?! You were my _friend_!” So much had been revealed to him over the last few days on Takodana, but he was still no closer to learning how Rey had turned against him in the first place. His memories were twisting around the emotion that had always been there in the pit of his stomach. Snoke had turned her against them all, revealed some hidden truth that he couldn’t comprehend. Something so dark and horrible that it had turned love into hate. He saw her in dreams and visions screaming like a wounded animal, but the words of Snoke remained just out of reach. The mystery pulling them apart at the seams. 

Rey stilled, saber lowered just past her hip, staring at him. “You can’t protect your father from me, Ben. I will destroy everything you love before this ends.”

“Ben…” Han groaned, gripping his ankle to their left. Rey’s eyes shifted to his father with brutal desire. Her saber rose as she made her final dash towards him, and something inside Ben snapped. 

He felt cold. The rage and the hatred he’d been feeling surged inside him and penetrated his bones. It was both frightening and exhilarating all at once. A shift was taking place, an imbalance he’d struggled to deny. Now he was the prey. Love and hate. Luke Skywalker’s failure felt complete. He dove after Kyla Ren with a fury and swung down his lightsaber as she rolled away. She rushed towards him, grasping his wrist, as he grabbed hers, and he shoved her against a thick evergreen. His hold on her wrist was unyielding to the point that she was struggling just to keep her lightsaber in hand. His pressed his own just inches from her neck, drawing closer. There was nothing holding him back. The coldness spread through his limbs, no mercy. Rey’s head tilted back in panic.

“You kill him, and everything ends, Rey. Everything!” he threatened with a growl. “Darth Vader’s blood runs through my veins, and I _feel_ him. I feel him every second of every day. Everything twisted and evil that threatens me… I promise you, I will _embrace_ it! You will come to fear me with every pathetic breath you take! Snoke will cast you aside, and see my power! I will rip you to pieces, Rey!” Ben’s eyes cruelly drank in her panic as his saber drew closer to the pale flesh of her exposed throat. “Kill Han Solo… and _I WILL DESTROY YOU_!”

The forest grew quiet, as if to emphasize his threat. With this new power inside him, he felt his father’s fear, felt Rey’s dread. Hell, he terrified himself. Nothing else mattered. He fed on the fear. His muscles quaked as he pressed into her with intent. Ready to kill her. _Wanting_ to kill her. She was holding his gaze, glowing under the light of his weapon, the saber almost close enough to separate her body from her head. So much terror in her eyes. Her eyes. Through the glow of blue and red Ben took in those eyes. He looked deep into the darkness of her pupils, felt her breath against his face. Watching her lose her resolve in the face of his unrelenting power. Ben could see. There was something in her eyes… in the reflection, like a vision of truth. He saw… he saw himself… no… worse… he saw the mask of Darth Vader, and froze. 

Rey used the brief moment of hesitation to shove him back, gasping for air against the tree trunk. A sudden roar grabbed her attention, as TIE fighters flew overhead. By now the map to Skywalker had surely escaped this world. A blinding light followed, shining down over the small clearing where they’d fought. It was the Falcon. Ben and Rey were snapped out of their duel instantly in their need for self-preservation. They separated, running in different directions, as Ben reached for his father and shoved him down. The Falcon rained down cover fire towards Rey’s position, forcing her away.

He felt his father struggle underneath him, reaching for his comlink. “Chewie! Get down here!”

He’d thought he would feel relief as Rey’s presence drifted further and further away. He thought he would be happy to feel his father breathing just below him. The Millennium Falcon cleared away more of the forest so it could land and bring them home. This was supposed to be a victory, they were finally saved; but the emotions that had taken hold of him were fading. No anger, no relief, no joy, nor pain. Darth Vader’s shadow cast down upon him in his mind, and in that moment all Ben Solo felt was numb.

*~*~*

Her skin sizzled and smoked as Kyla Ren watched Han Solo drag his son onto the Falcon. She wasn’t fast enough to avoid the attack, but she’d managed to put out the fire on her stomach and back. The leather melted against her skin and she grunted as nerve endings screamed. She needed to get up. She needed to get moving before she was left behind. It took all of her strength to pull herself up, and she staggered through the forest, stunned and overwhelmingly scared. She’d failed again. The black eyes of the dark side haunted her, if only because they’d been Ben’s. There was no doubt in her mind now. He would destroy her.

She wasn’t strong enough, not fast enough to defeat the bloodline that haunted her family. Snoke would surely realize Ben Solo was a more powerful ally. She was vulnerable. Kyla whimpered as the leather grazed against burned skin across her belly, and she forced herself to keep moving as her body begged and pleaded to give up. Every fear rose to the surface at once with overwhelming clarity. She had to defeat Ben Solo, but she could only do that if he was never allowed to embrace the darkness as she had.

Threatening Han Solo had been a mistake. She could see that now. The point was to weaken him, not make him stronger. The point was to wound, not infuse power. The next time they faced each other, she would see him bow to her in defeat. She could not let her family down. Not after all Anakin Skywalker’s family had done. Kyla Ren would not stop until the bloodline of Darth Vader came to it’s end.

_‘You aren’t Darth Vader, Ben.’_

_‘No… but I am a piece of him left behind.’ Eyes carefully watched the sand fell between Ben Solo’s fingers, and collected onto a mound below. ‘The dead are always screaming at me.’ Only now could she see the darkness in his eyes. ‘Can’t you hear it?’_

_‘Ben… you’re scaring me.’_

_His smile was soft and filled with so many regrets. ‘Sometimes Rey… I scare myself.’_

*~*~*

Ben Solo used to love the way his father looked at him. It made him feel proud, brave, and confident as he faced the challenges of life as a Jedi. Han refused to look at him now after they’d made it inside the Falcon. Ben couldn’t even look at himself. They’d taken flight for D’Qar, trailing Leia Organa’s ship and the X-Wings that had covered their escape. A blanket draped over his shoulders as his hands gripped the holochess table, stunned in the wake of his failure. Never had the dark side taken over so fiercely. Not once. His own words shook him, and left him frozen. How could he have failed so miserably? How could he have let his father down so much?

They exited the atmosphere and immediately entered lightspeed, and Ben could hear his father speaking softly to Chewie. He fed his co-pilot coordinates, and asked the Wookie to take over the helm. Minutes passed as Han firmly wrapped his ankle, assuring Chewie that it wasn’t as bad as he’d first thought. A few more words were spoken, and then a silence settled between the. His father turned.

Ben immediately lowered his gaze, refusing to meet his father’s eyes. Han Solo stood, steady footfalls echoed through the ship. Ben could tell he was being careful not to put too much pressure on the injured ankle. They sounded slow and uncertain to his own ears, and he swallowed hard to clear the lump in his throat. Han finally came to a stop, just out of reach. “Ben?”

Ben shook his head. He wasn’t ready to face this. He wasn’t prepared to talk about his failure. Darth Vader’s legacy… he would never be rid of it. There was no escaping the blood running through his veins. His head fell into his hands as he shook and shivered. Rey’s threat continued to take it’s toll on Ben’s system. He was shattered. Exhausted. Broken. How could he have ever thought he might be a force for good?

“Ben look at me, son.”

His father’s voice was gentle, but he couldn’t do it, couldn’t obey. He felt Han draw closer and he pulled away, half terrified the man he admired most, would finally see the monster lurking just under the surface. Ben couldn’t speak. What would he say? There was no excuse for his actions, for his words. The truth behind them was staggering. Without Han Solo, Ben would be truly lost. The reality of it punctured him, left him raw. He could never hurt Rey… he couldn’t… but he would have. He almost did. He would have killed her just as violently as Rey wanted to kill him.

“I… I appreciate you saving my life back there. I know it wasn’t easy to fight her.”

It was easier than his father realized. He’d embraced their battle willingly. He’d tasted the rage and hate that plagued Rey. It made him sick. He was disgusted, stomach recoiling in protest. Was this really all it took? So many years determined never to be what Anakin Skywalker had become, so many nights lying in terror that lust and power would invade his mind and heart; and all it took to embrace the darkness was a lightsaber duel with his father’s life in the balance.

“Ben… please,” Han insisted, moving to take a seat beside his son. “Talk to me.”

Ben kept his eyes closed as his hands dropped to the table. “I failed.”

“No… no, kid… you protected us both! Rey was trying to manipulate you!”

“She succeeded,” Ben insisted with a rumble. He felt like a live wire… too dangerous to be touched. He shoved his hands through his hair and breathed deep. “She was trying to tell me something, but I wasn’t listening. I’m the reason she turned to the dark side. She’s afraid of me… afraid of what she sees in me. She’s shown me who I truly am….”

“Ben, no! Don’t you dare! I’m not going to lose you like this! Not now when we need you most! You are _stronger_ than bloodlines! You are _better_ than temptation or your anger! If Luke could face Vader… I _know_ you can face Rey… you can bring her back! What she sees is a lie! Show her the truth!”

The certainty in his father’s voice was momentous, reaching through the fog and the shadows. It forced Ben’s eyes open as he finally turned to look at Han Solo. There was no hesitation. How was it possible? How could his father still look at him with such pride? “I couldn’t lose you,” he confessed with a shudder, and felt his father swing an arm around Ben’s shoulders. He pulled Ben close and kissed the top of his head. The love of a father… perhaps it was more powerful than he’d realized.

Ben leaned into the welcoming arms of Han Solo and his muscles finally relaxed. “Hey… don’t worry so much about your old man. I’m right here… for as long as you need me to be.”

*~*~*

“Finn's familiar with the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian system. He worked on the base,” Poe reported standing in the war room of D’Qar, their Resistance base.

Leia nodded, expression grim at the mention of the massacre. “Finn, we’re desperate for anything you can tell us.”

Finn glanced over at Poe, hesitant for a moment. He knew he could help these people. In fact, deep within his bones there was no doubt that he was _meant_ to help these people. Just like he’d known he couldn’t stay with the First Order. What they’d done was incomprehensible. It was evil, and too horrifying to fathom. His fears at facing the enemy that had taken him from his family were overwhelming, but there was something in the way Poe Dameron looked at him that made him feel stronger. He didn’t want to let anyone down, especially not Poe. His friend. Had he ever really had a friend before?

Finn wanted to run. He wanted to run so hard and never stop running. Everything in his gut told him they were all doomed, that it wasn’t worth it. When his eyes rested on Poe Dameron, the doubts disappeared one by one. He saw strength he’d never witnessed before, hope so bright it was blinding, and a devotion to a cause worthy of his heroism. He felt inspired. Finn turned back towards General Organa with a gentle smile. “I… I want to help… any way I can.”

Before Leia Organa could respond, the familiar blue light filled the command center. They’d recovered the map from BB-8 and begun feeding the information into their star charts. The General’s eyes rose towards the holographic map with a mixture of hope and concern. Something wasn’t right. Her golden droid C-3P0 was analyzing the information Finn and Poe had brought back. “General, I regret to inform you, but this map recovered from BB-8 is only partially complete. And even worse, it matches no charted system on record. We simply do not have enough information to locate Master Luke.”

Organa sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. Finn shared a look with Poe, wondering what they would do now. “I can't believe I was so foolish to think that I could just find Luke and bring him home.”  
“There must be some way to find the rest of the map,” Dameron pressed, determined not to give up even if the General already had. “If the task was impossible, why leave these clues behind?”

Finn watched as BB-8 rolled across the command center towards a dark and dusty tarp nearby. Was the droid trying to tell them something? He pushed away from the bench he’d been sitting on and followed it. “What’s under that thing?”

Leia Organa dismissed it with a wave. “R2-D2… he shut down soon after Luke left us.”

“This was Luke Skywalker’s?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow, realizing why BB-8 had drawn his attention to the droid.

The protocol droid, Threepio, shuffled towards Finn as his fingers made contact with the grey tarp, sliding it away slowly to reveal the old droid underneath. “You are wasting your time, I’m afraid. It is very doubtful that R2 would have the rest of the map in his backup data.”

“Well, why not? I mean, if Luke Skywalker wanted to leave clues behind… he’d leave them with the people he trusted most, right?” Finn watched as Poe stood up catching on. “When Kyla Ren was on Jakku you hid the map in BB-8, Poe. The one place you knew it would be safe.”

C-3P0 shook his head stubbornly. “R2-D2 has been in low power mode ever since Master Luke went away. Sadly, he may never be his old self again.”

“There’s got to be a way to activate him,” Finn insisted, staring back at Organa. 

Her lips curled into a faint smile. “Maybe there is….”

“General!”

Everyone turned as Admiral Statura entered the command center, his expression grim as he held Organa’s gaze. General Organa stood, hands clasped together in front. “Yes, what is it Admiral?”

“The reconnaissance report on the enemy base is coming. I fear this base is in grave danger.”

Finn swallowed hard and glanced back at the R2 unit still deep in sleep. “I think this would be a good time to wake up, little guy….”

*~*~*

“What of the droid? Have you recovered it?”

Kyla Ren’s wounds were healing, but the burns continued to plague her like a warning. She’d pushed too hard beyond her own boundaries, a painful reminder of the cost of survival. Supreme Leader Snoke towered over her. She hesitated, filled with self-doubt in the face of Ben Solo’s rage. “We no longer need it.”

Snoke snarled angrily. “Explain!”

It was General Hux that spoke up for her. His own triumph had given him poise, yet another reminder of how fall she’d fallen. “Ren believed it was no longer valuable to us.”

“The Resistance must be destroyed before they get to Skywalker!” roared Snoke, heatedly.

Hux nodded in agreement, a subtle curl of his lips as he shared better news. “We have their location. We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium system.”

“Good. Then we will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon.”

Kyla Ren could feel something strange twinging in the back of her mind. This wasn’t, at all, what she wanted. Ben Solo was with the Resistance, but this wasn’t how it was supposed to end. This wasn’t how she wanted to attain her revenge for her family. “The Resistance still have the map. If we destroy them now, we’ll never find Luke Skywalker. He is a threat for as long as he remains alive,” she protested.

Snoke’s eyes narrowed upon her in disappointment, and she endured the pressure of his power with the Force. “You have failed to defeat Ben Solo. We will find another way to destroy his Master. The sons of Anakin Skywalker must not be allowed to rise against us.”

She bowed her head, grimacing under the strain of her Master’s strength. “Yes, Master….”

*~*~*

Something significant was changing. As Ben Solo’s focus returned he could feel the Force pressing on him, like a gentle nudge towards some hidden truth he’d yet to understand. The hologram of Starkiller base floated above them, and he’d chosen to hang back and listen as they made their plans. He embraced the quiet in his mind, searching for something specific to help him with his final stand against Rey. He couldn’t fail this time. There was too much at stake.

_‘What am I missing? Luke… what secrets have you kept?’_

“The scan data from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn's report,” Poe was saying, nodding towards the ex-Stormtrooper. “They've somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself.”

“A laser cannon?” questioned one of the Majors, glancing over at Dameron.

“We're not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale,” Poe admitted.

“It’s another Death Star,” muttered Ben, and only glanced up when all eyes settle on him. His arms are crossed as he leaned against one of the consoles behind him, and he stared back grimly.

“I wish that were the case,” said Poe, his fingers flying over the control panel that was projecting the hologram of Starkiller base. The image changed as the Death Star appeared. “This was the Death Star,” he pointed out needlessly. Again, his fingers hit several other controls and the image expanded. The Death Star began to shrink as the Starkiller base came back into view. Its massive size was staggering in comparison to the weapon that destroyed Leia Organa’s home planet. “This is Starkiller Base.”

“So it’s big,” Han shrugged, less than impressed. Ben had to smile at his father’s dismissal of the danger heading towards them. Much like Ben, they both knew that size wasn’t nearly as important, nothing more than a minor detail compared to the enemy pulling the strings. A base, any base, could be destroyed if a weakness could be found. There was always a weakness.

“How is it possible to power a weapon of this size?” questioned Admiral Ackbar, beady eyes blinking slowly as he turned to Finn.

Finn cleared his throat, shifting from one leg to another, obviously nervous about the attention. “It uses the power of the sun. As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears.”

Ben watched as his mother was handed a datapad, fully aware of the information being conveyed. He’d felt it… through the Force, through Rey. His skin tingled where she’d been burned. She wasn’t pleased. That had to mean something, he supposed. “They’re charging the weapon now,” he announced, saving his mother the trouble. Her eyes flashed to his with apprehension, and for a moment he wondered if Han had shared what he’d witnessed in Takodana’s forest. Would she worry? Fear he’d lost his way like Rey had? “We are their next target.”

Again all eyes were on him. “He’s right,” Organa confirmed.

“Oh my! Without the Republic fleet… we’re doomed!” Threepio exclaimed with his usual panic.

“Okay… so how do we blow it up?” Ben’s smile grew as the group shifted from him to his father. When no one said a word he rolled his eyes and waved towards the hologram. “There’s always a way to do that,” he defended.

“Han’s right,” Leia Organa agreed. “We’ve faced insurmountable odds before, and I have no doubt we can do it again.”

It was Admiral Statura that finally spoke up. “In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator...”

Finn seemed to catch on to what he was saying and attached to the train of thought. “There is one,” he confirmed, shifting around the hologram to point at a structure of black, shaped like a hexagon. “Precinct 47. Here.”

Admiral Statura’s eyes flashed with a theory. “If we can destroy that oscillator, it might de-stabilize the core and cripple the weapon.”

“Maybe even the planet,” Ben agreed, rubbing his chin as he contemplated their plan. Would it work? It had to. It was no mistake having Finn join the Resistance. Ben was certain the Force had something in store for them all.

Poe’s eyes shined as he looked over at Finn, and never had the pilot looked so proud. His new friend may have saved all their lives. “We'll go in there and we'll hit that oscillator with everything we got.”

“They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate,” warned Ackbar.

Ben Solo wasn’t surprised when his father spoke up. “We disable the shields,” Han volunteered, and glanced over at Finn. “Kid, you worked there, what’ve you got?”

Attention turned, once again, to Finn, but his focus was on the hologram. His eyes roved back and forth over the giant base, forming an idea to make their plan work. “I can do it…” he insisted. “I can disable the shields. But I have to be there, on the planet-”

“We’ll get you there,” Han assured the ex-Stormtrooper without hesitation.

Leia Organa was less confident in her husband’s words. “Han, how?”

The older Solo shrugged, giving her a lop-sided smirk that promised danger and probably something risky or stupid. “If I told you, you wouldn’t like it.” Ben nodded as his suspicions were confirmed. His eyes drifted back towards the Starkiller base.

“Father,” he spoke up, and everyone turned to look at Ben. “I’m coming with you.” His father opened his mouth to object, but Ben pushed away from what he’d been leaning on, and walked into the light of the hologram projector. “I’ve seen it in my dreams. The Force is with us. We won’t fail.”

Everyone grew quiet. Perhaps they were focused on his words of support, clinging to the hope that the Force would ensure their success. Or perhaps they were just waiting for Han or Leia to object, eager to keep their son safe and out of harm’s way. When he could take it no more, Poe Dameron clapped his hands together, making everyone jump. “Well… who are we to argue with a Jedi? Let’s go blow this thing up!”

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my own personal opinion, even if Ben Solo chose to resist the dark side of the Force, there would always be moments when it took over. Darkness and light are a part of him, hence the reason he'd become a Gray Jedi. Next chapter probably won't come until after this weekend is over. I want to have the story finished so I can post regularly once it's been edited.


	5. Part Five

**Part Five**

_Rey was having nightmares. He never would have known if their situation hadn’t become so dire. The freezing dessert of Jakku forced them into hiding, using the cover of a crashed Star Destroyer for shelter. They were being hunted, their mission ruined by the surprise attack of the Knights of Ren (Luke Skywalker’s fallen padawans). Lor San Tekka’s village was still miles away, but their transport had been destroyed and they were half starved, with still a day left on their journey. Deciding to camp in for the night, Ben Solo found himself restless and unable to sleep, so he’d settled for watching her. Rey was having nightmares._

_Ben’s hand reached out to touch her face, gentle and warm, hoping to erase whatever horrors she was enduring. He could feel a pull inside him, something unsettling when he touched her, an outside force. He probed deeper, listening to her whimper. ‘Rey….’_

_His desire to protect her was strong. Ben wanted to help, to wake her. His thumb grazed her lips as his eyes slipped closed. The presence was crushing, infusing them both with dread, pushing back against Ben as he tried to invade her dreams. His head dropped, pressing his forehead to hers, breathing her in as he struggled to fight the darkness. It was strong… so powerful… out for blood. Rey gasped. ‘Ben!’_

_Ben instantly flew several feet across the small chamber, wincing as his head slammed against rusted metal. Rey was sitting up, having violently awoken, confused and disoriented from her dream. He groaned, rubbing the back of his head. ‘Rey?’_

_She turned her head to her right, finally realizing how far away he was. ‘What are you doing over there?’ she questioned, confused._

_He flashed her a glare for even asking, though it could hardly be her fault she’d thrown him with the Force. Ben pulled himself up to his feet and slowly made his way back to her side, fighting down the nausea and dizziness as his head began to throb. ‘You were having a nightmare. What the hell were you dreaming about?’_

_Rey’s eyes darkened, as he finally dropped back down beside her. He winced as his finger made contact with a small cut on the back of his head. ‘Nothing… it was nothing. Go back to bed.’_

Ben Solo opened his eyes. Jakku. That was their last mission together before she joined the Knights of Ren. Their mission had been a disaster. He’d told Uncle Luke about Rey’s nightmares, but pursued the matter no further. He’d felt a fair amount of guilt for invading her mind, and had chosen to respect her privacy. Now he was starting to realize what she’d been dreaming about, and the quiet voice inside his mind whispered an affirmative. The fear in her eyes when she looked at Ben back on Jakku, mirroring what he’d seen in that forest when he lost control. She was terrified of him. How could he have missed it?

All that time they’d spent together, Ben Solo trusted Rey more than any other padawan. He’d relied on her. So often Master Skywalker had spoken of their shared connection. He’d encouraged them to train together, sent them on missions together. In a moment of weakness, one night on Jakku, Ben had kissed her lips… she’d rejected him. On that mission he’d talked about Darth Vader for the first time in years, trusting her with secrets he hadn’t even shared with Master Luke or his parents. For weeks they’d been on the run from Skywalker’s old padawans, twisted into something evil as they organized against Uncle Luke. Kyla Ren was his fault, but there had to be a way to end it. There had to be a way to convince her that she didn’t have to fear him. Ben longed for his best friend, his ally in the Force. 

He was missing something, something in himself and in her. His darkness and her light… he felt it. The mysteries that surrounded her would not remain hidden much longer. Rey told him their story was bigger... bigger than he’d realized. A war between families, hers and his. What did she mean? What was she seeing in her dreams? Time was running out and he needed to see what she saw. Rey was having nightmares, and now Ben was certain they were the key to saving her.

*~*~*

The Resistance Fleet was a rush of activity. Pilots inspecting their crafts, refueling, and preparing their gear. Tensions were high as they prepared for the battle against the First Order’s superweapon. Poe Dameron had been through enough battles to know his fighters didn’t always come back. He’d lost more friends than he could count, and that was before the First Order came up with a weapon that could destroy entire planets and burn out stars. This would be one for the record books, and for the first time in his life… he had doubts. Finn was staring back at him, practically vibrating from untapped nervous energy. It could be the last time they saw each other. Poe wasn’t sure why he felt so unsteady all of the sudden. “I… just wanted to thank you again for saving me… for saving all of us.”

“I haven’t done anything yet,” Finn dismissed with a shake of his head. “I’m just the traitor, remember?”

Dameron was leaning against his ship, and immediately pushed off. He knew Finn was afraid to go up against the First Order. When he’d saved Poe’s life he’d been looking for a pilot, anyone willing to get him as far away as possible. He could have kept running, but he didn’t. “Finn… you’re one of _us_ now.” Finn’s eyes glanced down towards the Resistance jacket slung over his shoulder. It was subtle, but he still caught it. The uniform. He wasn’t a Stormtrooper anymore. No uniform. No one to belong to. Poe beamed with a sudden notion, and he pulled off the jacket and held it out to Finn. 

“What? I… I’m not sure I-”

“Take it,” Poe encouraged him. “You’ve earned it, Finn. You could have run from this, but you didn’t. You’re standing together with us. You’re part of the Resistance now. Besides, I think it might look better on you.”

Finn glanced down at the jacket still hanging between them, and then back at Poe, eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. “No one’s ever given me a gift before.”

When Finn still didn’t reach for the jacket, Poe sighed at his stubbornness. The young pilot took a step closer, to invade Finn’s space. Eyes lifted to meet Dameron’s gaze as he slung the jacket around Finn’s shoulders. He was close enough to feel the other man tense and relax, following his actions with earnest eyes. Poe dusted off a fleck of sand from Finn’s collar and admired the jacket and it’s new owner. “I was right… looks way better on you.”

Neither man said a word for the longest moment. Poe hadn’t pulled away, and neither had Finn. They’d been through quite a journey together, and Dameron was certain he’d never forget the look of wonder on Finn’s face. The question was, should he say goodbye? Was this the moment they parted ways? Their odds weren’t the best, but Ben Solo believed in their success. That had to mean something. He wasn’t quite ready to die yet, and he was sure neither was Finn. Poe held the other man’s gaze, taking in every detail of his face. 

“Stay safe, Finn.”

Finn reached up and pulled Poe closer. The pilot wasn’t sure what to expect until arms wrapped around him, and he realized Finn was giving him a hug. Dameron chuckled into the man’s shoulder and held on tight, eyes closed as he realized he’d been holding his breath. “You too….”

“May the Force be with you.”

“Yeah….”

*~*~*

“Finn, you might wanna be careful with those. They’re explosives,” warned Ben as the large, metal balls slipped from his hands.

“And you tell me this now?!” Finn responded, eyes a little wider as he collected the equipment.

“Better now than not at all.” Black hair dropped down over Ben’s eyes and he brushed it back and away. He was reading over a datapad, but managed to glance up as Chewbacca walked by. “Chewie, check that donal capitator, could you?”

Han Solo watched his son preparing the Falcon for take-off, standing just far enough away to remain out of sight. He had that damned look in his eyes, so focused on every detail, on catching any mistakes before they left for their mission. How many times had he watched Leia so engrossed in her duties, with that exact same look in her eye? He almost laughed as memories assaulted him. When they were young it was much easier to distract his wife. A sensual kiss to her neck, just long enough to steal some random datapad, and remind her there was more to life than paperwork. Eventually, she’d wised up to that move. It was a lot harder to seduce her from her work now. Sometimes he would pick a fight with her, poke the beast on purpose till she’d forgotten what she’d wanted to finish. If he was lucky the argument would end in sex, and she’d complain in the morning about all the work she had to catch up on. Occasionally, it was Ben that would surprise her. Just his presence alone pulled her from the fog. She’d smile and set everything aside as they’d talk secretly amongst themselves. Nothing came before family.

“You’re worried about him.”

Han rolled his eyes and folded his arms. His eyes never left his son, feeling Leia stand beside him. There was a gentle wind blowing Ben’s thick hair around, and he looked especially frustrated every time he was forced to push his curls back. “I’m always worried about him,” he grumbled. “I’ve been worried since the day you told me I was going to be a father.”

Leia’s shoulder pressed against his, a gentle nudge, and instinctually he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his side. She always felt so perfect against him. “This is different.”

“You didn’t see him back on Takodana, Leia.” As a father it was his job to pick up the pieces when things went south. He’d seen where his son’s mind was heading the moment they escaped in the Falcon, and done his best to pull him back from the brink. There was no denying Ben had been unrecognizable when Rey threatened Han’s life. It was like watching a switch go off in his own son’s head, and he was terrified there was a chance it might happen again.

She sighed against him, tightening her hold around his waist. She followed his gaze as Ben walked over to help Finn before he could blow himself up with all the detonators. “He was always so scared,” she admitted. “He still is, but he hides it well.”

Han was instantly reminded of a beautiful Princess who lost her home and her family in one day. He thought about how she’d resisted him with every single breath, but kissed him with trembling lips and a sweaty palm in his hair. “He gets that from his mother.” Leia smacked his chest weakly, making him chuckle. She knew he had a point. Leia was good at hiding her feelings, but he saw through her opaque shields almost every time. When she’d learned she was pregnant, Han knew what she’d been afraid of. She didn’t like to talk about Darth Vader, she never had. It didn’t matter that Bail Organa was the man that raised her. It didn’t even matter that she’d never become a Jedi. The legacy was a shadow that had darkened everything it touched, made life bittersweet. Han wasn’t sure if Anakin Skywalker would ever be truly dead. Not to Leia, and certainly not to Ben. “I just never wanted to see him like this. He’s constantly at war within himself, Leia. I didn’t realize it until I saw him fight Rey. I didn’t have a clue what he was going through.”

“He’ll find balance, Han. We have to believe he can be strong,” she whispered. “Sometimes I focused so much on his grandfather, I forgot who his parents are.” Leia finally pulled away from him, forcing Han to look down at her. “There’s more of us in Ben Solo than _him_.”

Han’s lip curled into a subtle smile, not quite sure what to say. She hadn’t seen what he had, but Ben was still his boy. He wanted to believe her more than anything. He had to believe his son would beat this thing, even if he was fighting for the rest of his life. Han nodded and looked back at Ben. “I better get going.”

“No goodbye this time?” she questioned.

He paused, turning back to his wife. Their kiss was short and sweet, as tender as it had been that first time in the Falcon. “I love you,” he told her, and headed towards his ship.

He didn’t miss the way she sighed back, “I know….”

*~*~*

The cockpit of the Millennium Falcon was overcrowded and cramped. Ben shifted uncomfortable as he was pressed into Finn. Their new recruit for the Resistance seemed especially anxious, and he could sense something just underneath the surface, like a mantra being repeated in the younger man’s head. _‘I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.’_ The words drifted unspoken, but loud enough for them to echo in Ben’s own mind. He hadn’t a clue what he was doing, and Solo was the only one who realized the truth… for now. “So… Solo, how are we getting in?”

“Did you just call me, Solo?” Han questioned, glaring back at Finn.

Ben smirked, watching the younger man redden despite his darker shade. He decided it was best to save his father the trouble of having to explain. “Their shields have a fractional refresh rate. Keeps anything traveling slower than lightspeed from getting through,” he told Finn. Finn twisted his head to look at Ben, eyes widening as he realized Han Solo’s plan. “We're going to make our landing approach at lightspeed.”

“How the hell did you know what I was planning?!” his father questioned with a brief glance back. Finn was too busy trying not to hyperventilate to speak.

The younger Solo quirked an eyebrow, having thought it was obvious. “I’m your son.”

Chewie’s growl was filled with complaints about Solos and their crazy ideas. Han just rolled his eyes, tensing as they drew closer to their target. “Quit your whining and get ready, Chewie! This is it!” Ben watched his father, an expert pilot, work the controls of his ship with ease. Han was quite impressive considering Ben could sense his father’s nerves rattling in his gut. He was taking one hell of a chance, and if Threepio were around he’d be screeching the odds and flailing golden limbs. For Ben, it was fairly simple. He and his mother had spent many years complaining about Han Solo’s many unorthodox ideas, but they weren’t dead yet, and he was feeling fairly confident. “Now Chewie!”

In seconds the streaks of stars in lightspeed were replaced with snow-covered mountain ranges. Ben’s hands gripped the small bench tightly as his father tried to pull up. They couldn’t have been more than 100 feet from a sudden, and fiery death. His ears rang with Chewie’s screams to pull up. There was a forest of trees dead ahead, and Ben was already bracing for impact as Han insisted that he was pulling up, but any higher and they’d surely be discovered. When the Falcon slammed into the first tree Ben’s eyes slipped closed. He used to Force to keep him and Finn secured in place, as their seatbelts were less than adequate. The impact was rough, scraping against the ship with a loud crash, one after another. Alarms fill the cockpit with all the damage being sustained to his father’s ship, but Han managed to grip the controls and keep them going. They hurtle out of the forest and dove down into the snow, sliding dangerously close to the edge of a cliff.

When they finally seem to come to a stop everyone was quiet for a moment, except perhaps for the ship itself which is still blaring alarms. Finn was counting fingers, and possibly toes, while Han checked the damage to his ship, mumbling under his breath about paint jobs and a new communications array. Ben took a deep breath and looked around the small cockpit. “That actually went better than I expected,” he admitted.

Chewie whined and dropped his head in furry hands, relieved. Han ignored his co-pilot’s grumbling, and turned back to give Ben. He was sporting that trademark lop-sided smile he had so despised as a child. “I can’t believe that actually worked!”

*~*~*

Kyla Ren could sense him almost the instant he step foot on the planet. One minute she’d been heading for the control room to meet General Hux, and the next it was as if her mind had caught fire. Her eyes closed as she reached for him. He was coming for her. He didn’t even try to hide it, to conceal himself. Ben Solo was coming here for her. The thought made her shudder, and the burns seemed to ache despite the pain killer she’d taken. She’d yet to stop by a med station for bacta treatments. The burns would heal eventually, if she lived long enough.

A spark of fear was what made her hesitate. Snoke’s plan to destroy the Resistance would fail if Ben was left alive, but she was no longer certain she was strong enough to defeat him. Her training was incomplete. Her Master would reject her if she did not confront Ben Solo. This was her final chance to prove herself. She wanted the galaxy to fall at her feet. Kyla wanted to achieve vengeance for her family. Her fears were making her weak, making her hesitate, and Ben would surely use that to his advantage.

“Ben Solo,” she whispered to herself quietly in the corridor. This time she would not let him conquer her. Either he would die by her saber… or she would.

*~*~*

The walk had been treacherous and exhausting. The cold seeped into their bones as they made their way through the planet’s terrain, and towards the structures up ahead. Finn had been leading the way, with a lot more gallantry than he’d displayed in the Falcon. They’d taken cover, and Chewie’s bag of explosives was adjusted to his other side. Ben was certain it had to be rather uncomfortable and heavy, especially while slipping and sliding over ice and thick mounds of snow. “The flooding tunnels are over that ridge. We'll get in that way,” Finn explained.

“What was your job when you were based here?” Han asked, peering over Finn’s shoulder towards the tunnels he’d pointed out.

“Sanitation,” Finn admitted, eyes focused on the distance and time it would take to reach their target.

The ex-Stormtrooper was yanked back against the large wall they were leaning on, and Han Solo’s eyes as gone wide. “Sanitation?! Then how do you know how to disable the shields?!” he exclaimed, horrified.

“I don’t,” Finn admitted. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll use the Force.”

Ben watched a tiny vein practically burst out from his father’s forehead. He looked seconds away from an aneurism, a real concern at his age. “THAT’S NOT HOW THE FORCE WORKS!”

As the only real expert in the group, the younger Solo decided it was time to weigh in on the discussion. “Yes it is,” he assured Finn, disregarding his father.

Han turned immediately, glaring at his son. “No… no it’s not! People are counting on us! The galaxy is counting on us-”

“And the Force will guide us in the success of our mission,” Ben interrupted with a mocking smile, enjoying his father’s panicked expression a little too much. He’d suspected Finn knew less about the base than he’d led on. It was something in the way Finn tried to put on a show, hide away the self-doubt and temptation to run, with a swagger that seemed unnatural. He wasn’t the best liar, not to a Jedi, anyway. Finn was still useful though, Ben was certain of it. Finn needed to be the one to show them the way. Having an ex-Stormtrooper on their side would still prove useful in stopping Starkiller base. “Really, father! How is this any different to when you come up with half-baked ideas at the last minute to save your skin?” he questioned the older Solo.

Han was left speechless for a moment, as he tried to think of a response. Chewie howled a complaint about the weather, making the older man sour, and he turned to his faithful friend and co-pilot. “Oh really?! You’re cold?”

Finn turned back towards the tunnels, face full of determination. He was learning to be brave and face the First Order. Ben could sense he was doing this for a person… he was trying to be brave for Poe. “Come on, we don’t have much time.”

Finn was already moving, and Ben shrugged at his father, following the younger man. He could hear Han Solo complaining not far behind him. “I never should have given up smuggling….”

They made their way towards the tunnels in haste, to avoid being spotted. The snow provided little cover as Troopers watched over their base. Finn’s idea for getting inside was the least likely to expose them, and once they were inside they wouldn’t have much time to discover the best way to disable the shields. On the horizon they were reminded of just exactly why they were on this mission. The sun’s fire and power was being drained quickly. The moment this planet went dark, all would be lost.

Twenty minutes… perhaps fifteen before their fight against the First Order was finished. They reached the flooding tunnels in record timing. The damp chill was more preferable to the wind they’d endured outside, and Chewie roared a delighted sigh the moment they entered the first hatch and sealed themselves in. Finn continued to lead them through the maze of underground tunnels, passing maintenance alcoves and horrid smelling mold. Eventually, they reached a unique looking hatch, and they were waved over. “This should lead us to a main corridor. We have to be careful, from here on we could run into Stormtroopers on patrol.”

Finn’s mind had been occupied on their next move, already trying to tackle what they should do about the shields. He was adapting fast, proving himself, and Ben was almost certain the Force was with them. “Right,” said Han, pulling out his blaster.

_‘Ben Solo.’_

Ben stilled, falling away from the present moment as her voice filled his thoughts. He’d heard her. She was reaching out with her mind, searching for him, calling to him. Their connection felt stronger somehow. Ben could feel her fear as if it were his own. It didn’t prevent her from seeking him out. He was eager to seek her out as well. He’d liken her to the flame that moths fly into, but he suspected that was exactly what she thought of him. Perhaps they were both fire and moth. Neither one of them was willing to back down or walk away. The dance wasn’t over yet.

“Ben? Hey! Snap out of it, son.” He blinked twice before his mind seemed to register where he was. His father was staring at him, eyebrows wrinkled with worry. “I need you focused.”

The younger Solo shook his head. “Actually, this is where we part ways.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” questioned Finn, and that flash of panic was back on his face in seconds. “What about the shields? What about the mission?”

Ben turned his head past Han, and nodded at their new recruit. “You have a plan.”

“I have half a plan,” he argued.

Han whirled around at Finn with an imposing glare. “NOT. HELPING. MY. CALM.”

They didn’t have time for a fight. Everything was going to end if he went with them. He would only endanger the mission by bringing Kyla Ren straight into their path, and he couldn’t afford risking his father’s life, not after what happened last time. He needed to find his balance, to face Rey with the better parts of himself… not the worst. “Kyla Ren knows I’m here. She’ll prevent you from shutting off the shields and blowing up this base. I’m endangering the mission by remaining.”

His father sighed, staring back at Ben. “You sound like your uncle now.”

Ben wasn’t exactly sure what his father meant by that, and lifted a single eyebrow in confusion. “I’m sure you trusted his judgement. Trust mine now. This is why I came. There’s no time to argue. Shut off those shields, set those explosives and get back to the Falcon.”

“What about you?” Finn questioned.

Ben hesitated to answer. What about him? He wasn’t sure. The future was constantly in flux, and difficult to interpret. He didn’t answer the question. He didn’t want his last moments with his father to be a lie… if facing Rey meant losing his own life. Instead, he pulled his father into a tight hug. He closed his eyes and held on like he used to when he was a child being haunted by bad dreams. “May the Force be with you,” he whispered into Han Solo’s ear. “Now go… there isn’t much time!”

When his father pulled away, those eyes looked incredibly sad. It was the last thing Ben wanted to remember if this was the end. Han Solo nodded at Finn, letting him enter the corridor first, then Chewie, and finally he walked over to the hatch and paused. “Ben… I…” the older man paused, shaking his head. “May the Force be with you.”

His father was never good with words. He didn’t say the right things most of the time, but it didn’t really matter in the end, because Ben knew Han Solo. He saluted his father with a grin, backing away and into the darkness. Finally, the hatch closed, and his father was gone. There was sure to be other tunnels that would lead to different corridors in the base. Ben would lead Kyla Ren away from Finn, Han, and Chewie. He would face whatever fate had in store.

 _‘Ben,’_ she called, her voice seemed even clearer in his mind.

_‘I’m here, Rey. It’s time.’_

**To Be Continued**


	6. Part Six

**Part Six**

“So much for the Force! This mission’s gone to hell!” Captain Phasma was a force to be reckoned with. She was as fast as lightening, with better aim than any Stormtrooper Han Solo had ever faced. She was just one person! One damned soldier among millions, but she fought like an army of one, and Han was getting too old to play the hero. “GREAT PLAN, KID!”

Finn glanced across the gap between them, ducking behind a wall and avoiding sparks from a fried control panel. “We’ve got her pinned down! It’s not my fault Chewie alerted her to our presence!”

Chewie growled his defense, something about random hyperspanners left by some lousy tech officer, but Han rolled his eyes. “Excuses, excuses! If we don’t end this she’ll alert an entire army to our position! We need those shields down NOW!”

“On your six!” cried the defected soldier, and Han spotted the Troopers quickly. Chewie got most of them, as they went down like dominoes. That was the problem with Stormtroopers, all that programming and they couldn’t think like individuals, just followed orders and came in guns blazing. They were rushing in from the commotion, so Han suspected Captain Phasma hadn’t gotten the chance to alert her men. She was cornered like a hunted bantha, and too far away from the comms. Han had managed to damage her personal comlink the moment they tried to get the drop on her. 

“Time is running out!” Han warned them, cursing under his breath.

Finn looked especially frustrated as he peeked past the wall, shooting with the same precision as any well trained Stormtrooper… the kid wasn’t even close to the target. Han almost rolled his eyes as Phasma shot back, just scarcely missing Finn’s head when he ducked back. “She’s the one with the command codes! We need her alive!”

“Well we don’t need her uninjured!” Han growled, yanking at Chewie’s bowcaster despite his loud protest. It was heavy, but powerful, and he pressed into the pile of cargo they’d taken cover behind. Without any concern for his well-being, (because damn it… if he was going to die… why they hell should he die hiding?), Han stepped towards the corridor shooting rapid and low. Sparks sprayed from the left, bulkheads blew to the right, illuminating the darkened corner where Phasma was crouching. One shot hit her shoulder, and another hit her blaster. She recoiled as it flew out of her hand. It had to be a damned miracle that he was still standing, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that. He ceased firing, but kept his weapon trained on her head. “Lower the shields!”

Finn rushed out into the corridor and kicked away her blaster. The door to the control room was damaged, blown open when she’d been alerted to their not so stealthy attack. Han had never been so good with stealth anyway. Not on the Death Star, not on Endor… hell, he hadn’t even managed to escape his infant son’s room without causing a ruckus and waking him up. That was why Leia had always been the one getting up when Ben would cry. Time was going fast and stealth was no longer an option anyway. They needed to get the shields down and fast.

“You’re making a big mistake,” Phasma warned, her voice cool and calculating despite the smoke coming from her shoulder.

Finn pressed his own weapon against her helmet, aggressive and out of breath. “You want me to blast that bucket off your head?”

“Don’t tempt him,” added Han with a faint smile. God help him, he liked the kid’s fire.

Finn pushed her harshly towards her workstation, watching as she begrudgingly shut down the shields. The screen seemed to have a minor seizure, as if even it couldn’t believe she’d actually done it. Blinking lights and alarms sounded as a warning appeared on the screen. **SHIELDS DISABLED**.

“That’s it, we’re done here.”

“What do we do with her?” asked Finn.

“You can't be so stupid as to think this will be easy. My troops will storm this block and kill you all,” she threatened through her mask, sounding just a little less calm.

Han wasn’t so concerned. There was still a chance they’d make it out of this in one piece. “Take her with us, she might be useful in getting us out of here. We’ll throw her out with the garbage on our way out. I’m sure you have a trash compactor somewhere.”

Finn’s smile was wide, lighting up his face. “Just follow me.”

*~*~*

She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until her lungs began to ache. It felt like she’d come full circle in her life, staring helplessly at a screen waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the heroes to save them and come home. Leia had spent her entire life fighting one battle after another. It didn’t matter if it was in a senate meeting, with a blaster, or at the controls of a base under threat. Inactivity didn’t suit her, but there wasn’t much to be done yet. She was waiting for her husband to do what he did best… save them.

Han and Ben Solo were on Starkiller base. The hologram floated in front of her, mocking her like a vengeful ghost. Instead of it’s transparent image, she saw snow and mountains. Instead of lines and vague maps, she saw corridors and Stormtroopers. Her connection to her husband was stronger than ever. He had no awareness of their bond, but for her it was more real than anything she’d ever known. His existence warmed her, infused life into her. She felt him, could reach out to him, touch his spirit as it mingled with hers. She wasn’t quite sure why he was smiling, but she felt that too.

“General! The shields are down!”

_‘Oh….’_

“Thank the Maker!” cried Threepio in relief.

Leia mirrored her husband’s smile. Han Solo to the rescue once again. “Han did it! Send them in!”

Admiral Statura’s voice was excited and eager as he shouted out his command. “Give Poe full authorization to attack!”

Leia took a deep breath and closed her eyes tight. _‘You did it, Han, now please just come home to me.’_

*~*~*

They weren’t quite ready to leave yet. Han knew the explosives could do a lot of damage in crippling and possibly destroying Starkiller base. He, Finn, and Chewie split up and began planting each explosive on every other column, certain it was significant enough to cause a chain reaction. He tried to stick to the shadows, keeping his mind occupied with memories of the shrill protests from Captain Phasma as they’d thrown her into the trash compactor. He thought about Leia, waiting for him and eager for his return. She was about as patient as he was when it came to each other’s well-being. He tried not to think of Ben. The kid would be okay… he had to be. There was no doubt in Han’s mind that his son was a survivor.

Han set another charge, the last one. Finn and Chewie should have been finished by now. It was time to meet up and make a run for the Falcon. Starkiller base was done for, and Han had no intention of sticking around when it blew. While making his way back towards the rendezvous point, his eyes caught sight of something in the distance. The oscillator structure was massive, with a seemingly bottomless pit in the middle and a bridge that ran across. Smoke and dim lighting made it difficult to see. A light from the shrinking sun broke through the shadows ahead. A figure stepped out into the light. Han froze. “What the hell is he doing?” The ex-smuggler ducked down, but kept his eyes on the lone figure, easily spotted from anywhere in the massive space.

“Rey!” Ben called out, and it was only then that Han noticed yet another figure hidden in shadow on the other side of the bridge. 

Han was rooted to the spot, staring at his son, petrified he was about to watch his son die. The light from the sun was fading out, the explosives set, and his son was only now standing up to Kyla Ren. “Dammit Ben….”

*~*~*

It seemed almost poetic that a hazardous bridge was all that stood between them. She was waiting for him when he finally saw her on the other side. There was an abyss just below them, and he could already see himself falling in. The last time they saw each other he’d been unhinged. Now as he took in her form, the opposite was happening. He was soothed, clear-headed, more aware of the Force than he’d ever been before. In this moment, as he stood across the bridge, everything was made clear to him. The storm he’d been enduring for years since her betrayal had dissipated with such a suddenness; he almost wondered if he’d reached the epicenter.

“You’ve come to kill me.”

Something in way she said those words made him ache. He was disturbed by the lies she’d twisted into ‘truth,’ as if her powers in the Force could involve manipulating reality. There was no doubt in Rey’s mind, no uncertainty. She believed he’d come to finish her, to carry out his threat back on Takodana. Convincing her of the truth would be impossible. He needed to get her away from Snoke’s influence first. “I’ve come to save you,” he insisted anyway. 

“I can see through your lies, Ben. Snoke has shown me everything.” From across the bridge he could feel her heart beating along with his. It gave him comfort. Even on opposing sides, her heart still kept pace with him.

Ben was listening to the Force exclusively, following it’s lead without resistance. Whatever Snoke showed her, it had distorted her sight. Even with the pieces missing to his puzzle, there was one clear truth that could not (and would not) be denied. Their families, his and hers, were tied up in destiny. Skywalker and Kenobi… always. “Tell me. Tell me what you saw. Show me the great wisdom of Snoke.” He just barely kept the sarcasm from his voice.

He could see she’d not been prepared for his request. Rey stood still and quiet, probing into his mind, attempting to see what his plans were. Whatever she saw left her confused and conflicted. “He showed me the meaning of my dreams.”

Carefully he took his first step out onto the bridge, taking his time to watch his feet. “Then tell me about your dreams.” The Force pressed against his back and he took another step forward. _‘Trust your feelings. Embrace both pain and balance. See the darkness and the light. See into her eyes, and understand the reflection staring back.’_

Rey stepped onto the bridge. She still hadn’t ignited her lightsaber, and he considered that a win. She was being drawn in too. “I dream… about you.”

Ben knew she’d been having nightmares. He never wanted to hurt her, but he couldn’t save her from her dreams… especially if he played the part of villain in every single one of them. He was enlightened by flashes of Darth Vader’s mask, charred and disfigured. He still had it… a skeleton in his closet that he’d always been too afraid to face. He wasn’t sure why his Uncle chose to give it to him. “You dream about me coming for you… to kill you.”

“It’s destiny, Ben,” she confirmed. “I tried to escape it. Snoke promised me… he promised me I could escape it. He showed me the power of the dark side. He knew it was my only chance. He was trying to protect me from you. He was trying to save my life.” They were walking closer, boots just inches from the edges of the small bridge. There was nothing to hold onto. No railing. No safety net. Balance. They just needed balance.

Their family history played out like Greek tragedy. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the only family Anakin Skywalker had once. He was a mentor, a brother, and a friend. Anakin wanted more. Ben never wanted to understand his grandfather. Peering into the darkness was a dangerous road to walk on, and his uncle had insisted he should stay away. Now it felt like a mistake. The dark side was just as connected to the Force as the light was. There was potential for so much more. How could he be a conduit for destiny if he only allowed one side to lead him? “In the dream, tell me how I kill you.”

Rey’s steps faltered. “Why would I tell you that?”

He thought about old Ben Kenobi wasting away in the harsh sands of Tatooine. The chain remained unbroken. With Anakin ripped from his side, his loyalties switched to Luke Skywalker. When he was certain Luke was safe, he faced his old apprentice one last time. It was a Skywalker that ended his physical existence, cutting him down without mercy. This was always how their connection would end. The son killing the father. The apprentice killing his mentor. The final betrayal of a family. “My grandfather killed your grandfather. Maybe it was the will of the Force.”

The chain didn’t stop there with Kenobi’s death. Obi-Wan had a son. This time it was a Skywalker searching to fulfill his commitment. For ten years he was led down this path, seeking out to renew the strange connection that began with Anakin and Obi-Wan. Destiny would not be denied. It tugged at Luke, sent him adrift to follow the tide as he was carried on the longest journey of his life. Obi-Wan’s son was drifting too, being pulled without knowing why. Ben never asked his uncle if he’d found what he was looking for. When he finally returned, Luke had a little girl in his arms and grief in his eyes. Ben had been too young to understand that little girl would be his everything. He’d been too little to comprehend why Luke Skywalker was sad. “Was it the will of the Force that Luke kill my father?” Rey asked him, and the question seemed painfully genuine.

Ben hadn’t known. It had never occurred to him. Luke Skywalker was a Jedi, a Master of peace. He represented all that was bright and good in the galaxy. All he’d known was this little girl without a father who was now being raised by his uncle Luke. How Rey had come into his life was never as important as why. Ben was only a few feet from her now. There was no mask, just her face, raw and broken. Luke Skywalker had been like a father to her. He’d raised her. Solo could only imagine how it must have felt to realize the man that had pulled her from the ashes, was the same one that started the fire. He licked dry lips and answered honestly. “Yeah Rey… I think maybe it was.”

He could see the moment his words pierced her. She almost doubled over from the force of his blow. Ben didn’t want to hurt her. There was only one reason why Luke Skywalker would kill a Kenobi. _‘I tried to save him… but he didn’t want to be saved.’_ He understood now. He recognized the voice inside his head. Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn’t save his only son, but there was still a chance for Rey. Destiny was pressing in on them harder than ever before. The will of the Force could be denied no longer. A Skywalker and a Kenobi. Love and hate. Perhaps he and Rey could walk the line in between.

Tears slipped down her cheeks when she finally stopped walking. Ben halted as well, peering down at the bottomless pit beneath their feet. “I didn’t want it to end like this. Rey loved you,” she admitted. “That’s why I had to destroy her.”

Ben didn’t move a muscle. “You can’t fight destiny, Rey.”

“I won’t go down without a fight.”

“It’s not Rey I want to kill,” he admitted while she pulled out her saber. “Snoke’s twisted your mind and manipulated the dream.” Ben ignited his own lightsaber, ready to defend himself. The weight of his weapon felt unusually heavy, and he could hear it’s low buzz in his ear. “I’ve come to destroy Kyla Ren.”

*~*~*

Finn and Chewie watched from above, on the top level of the large structure that was their target. They’d been waiting for Han when they noticed the interaction between Kyla Ren and Ben Solo. Finn’s hands gripped the bars as their sabers clashed, silently cheering on the Jedi. The sun was fading, but they didn’t move, eyes cast over towards the bridge to witness the strange duel. “They’re doing this now?” he questioned, a little nervously. Chewie growled something at Finn, but he understood none of it.

His mind drifted to Poe Dameron, best pilot of the Resistance. Was he still alive? Was he safe? Finn knew he was a good pilot, but that didn’t make him untouchable. Hell, maybe they were all seconds from death. Kyla swung her weapon careful and precise, just barely missing Ben’s head as he bowed from side to side. It was hard for them to do much on the cramped bridge. He’d never seen anyone fight while keeping such good balance. Ben flipped over Kyla and lunged forward, but Kyla bent back and used her own weapon to deflect him. It didn’t feel especially desperate. They were taking their time (time they didn’t have), and carefully attempting moves that could easily be defended. Neither seemed willing or able to strike the killing blow.

“Their holding back,” Finn realized, and glanced back at Chewie. It looked more like a dance than two enemies caught in war. It was beautiful and heart-breaking. Finn was entranced, lost in the story playing out before him. Each attack was written in blood, and each deflection soothed the cuts with bacta gel. He’d never seen anything like it before. 

“There they are! Traitor!” came a shout from the corridor behind them, leading to the oscillator structure. It was followed by enemy fire and the pounding of boots rushing towards their catwalk. Finn barely had time to turn when blaster fire connected with his shoulder. It felt like acid as it burned away skin and muscle, the impact took his breath away. He screamed, staggering back as Chewie laid down cover fire and dragged him from their exposed position. Finn’s feet stumbled and tripped, stunned by the sudden attack.

“I think Captain Phasma’s troops have arrived!”

*~*~*

Han couldn’t watch this. He had to get to Finn and Chewie. He’d heard blasters coming from up above, a bad sign that his friends were in trouble. _So was Ben._ He tightened his hand on his weapon. Even as his legs moved, he felt like he was leaving a piece of himself behind. His chest ached, as he moved away towards the ladder, which would take him to the catwalks where Chewie and Finn were waiting. His hands shook as he gripped the bars and pulled himself up. His eyes remained trained on his son for as long as he could manage it. His son… fighting Kyla Ren over the abyss. Maybe this is what it felt like to go to hell.

*~*~*

By now Ben Solo realized three things. First, the shields were down to the base and charges set in place to destroy the First Order’s weapon. Second, they had minutes before the entire base burned up in flames. Finally, Rey was holding back just as he was. This duel was a dance, like a tango between lovers who felt betrayed. Every time he got too close he could hear her breath falter and her heart skip a beat. Every time she pulled away his body burned from the distance. Their sabers crossed, eyes holding onto each other desperately. Her face was lit up purple from the blend of blue and red. She was beautiful.

“This isn’t want I want,” he told her.

She shoved him back, spread her legs in a ready stance, and gripped her saber with both hands. He could see the tears in her eyes with the light over her weapon. She couldn’t stop crying. She was being torn apart. “It’s never that simple though… is it?” she questioned. “One of us has to die and end this war.”

Ben shook his head, even as he lifted his own weapon towards her, mirroring her position. “There’s better ways of ending a war, sweetheart.”

She lunged forward and he countered with a parry. Rey responded with a remise, but he deflected that too. He was anticipating every attack with ease; she wasn’t even trying to catch him by surprise. It felt like they were younglings sparring again, drifting back in time to when she was of little concern to him. He was a cocky teenager, she was just a child, a brat Master Luke wanted to train. With each year she’d grown in knowledge of the Force, and there were moments when he’d pause and see a woman underneath her girlish smile. She’d reserved a space in the back of his mind, as if she was waiting for that moment when she’d go from larva to butterfly. He hadn’t been paying attention. He was a Jedi, not the Romeo to her Juliet.

Ben ducked down and almost lost his balance on the narrow bridge; which would have been the perfect opportunity to attack. Her attempt was weak, and easily blocked despite his position. He regained his footing and continued with their duel, jumping away from the very edge. They were quickly losing steam this time around. They’d both been angry during the battles that came before. He realized now that his breakdown on Takodana had shattered something inside Rey. She saw her nightmare coming to life, and was surrendering to it. He just wished she could accept that fate had other plans. “I’m tired, Rey,” he whispered softly.

Her resolve was crumbling right before his eyes. He could tell. She was tired too. Kyla Ren was afraid to die, and that was all she expected. Snoke’s grip on her was strong and persistent. Pushing her to move even as she was desperate to give in. “I… I hate you,” she almost sobbed with another swing of her saber against his.

_‘She is tired. It’s been so long. Just make her sleep.’_ They were close enough for him to grip her wrist, refusing to let her pull away. Their sabers sparked and sizzled against each other, lighting up their faces. This was his chance. “No Rey… you just wish you did,” he said and reached out with the Force. Her eyes slipped closed as he touched her mind, and like a switch he turned everything off. 

She collapsed in seconds, leaving Ben scrambling to cut off their weapons and catch her before she could fall into the abyss. She was limp in his left arm that was wrapped around her back. Her weapon dropped with a faint echo, while his free hand returned his own lightsaber to the belt hanging low on his hip. He indulged in her sleeping form for a moment, reaching down behind her knees to hold her properly in his arms. The light shining from the sun had finally faded completely, casting them in darkness. Time’s up. Ben held her close and rushed down the rest of the bridge towards the only place he could think to go. Flight deck wasn’t far. He’d steal a TIE fighter.

With one last glance down at Rey he saw peace spread across her face. “I’ve got you, Rey… there’s no need to be afraid anymore.”

**To Be Continued**


	7. Part Seven

**Part Seven**

The planet was lost in the darkness. The sun, drained of its power, had finally been consumed. Finn was injured, slung over Chewie’s shoulder, blood soaking through the Resistance jacket from several blaster wounds. Han occasionally twisted back to shoot at the Stormtroopers who would not stop coming. They seemed ridiculously eager to see Han, Finn, and Chewie dead considering their base was about to blow. The Falcon wasn’t far, but it felt like an eternity. Han Solo’s bones ached, his right knee was screaming from the ravages of old injuries and age. The snow refused to be kind, gripping at his boots and slowing him down.

“We’re not gonna make it!” he shouted at Chewie, voice high with panic as he ducked down when a branch dropped mere inches to his right. The trees provided good cover from blasters, but they had their own hazards with which Han needed to be weary. 

Chewie growled in utter defiance, refusing to give up. The Wookie was cold, wet, with an unconscious man on his back, but he still was less cynical than Han. _Oh yeah… and he’s older than me too._ The ex-smuggler grunted as he slipped on ice, exacerbating his still healing ankle from Kyla Ren’s attack.

“Fine! I’M not gonna make it!” he corrected angrily, and reached out to shoot a few more Stormtroopers dead.

It’s not long before his leg gave up, sending the older Solo to the snow face first. All he could hear was his own panting, hands going numb as they were buried in the cold. Chewie slid to a stop and dragged Han towards a nearby tree, just barely managing to keep Finn balanced on his shoulder as he stooped down. **“Were you hit?”**

Han shook his head, trying to take deep breaths, wincing at the pain from his ankle and his right knee. “I… I can’t. Get Finn outta here. I’ll hold them off and cover your escape.” Chewbacca’s protest was loud and insistent, but he waved the argument off. “Get to the Falcon and come back for me if you want, but get the hell outta here! I’m not arguing this!”

They were pals. Han and Chewie. One was rarely seen without the other around. His friend had seen Han at his worst and his best, through good times and bad, always loyal to his debt even when Han screwed up. Despite all the fighting, despite Han’s occasional desire to push, the ex-smuggler had never been alone. Chewie had stuck around the longest, of course, but he was damn lucky to have anyone at all. Chewbacca handed Solo his bowcaster, a sure promise he would return, and adjusted Finn’s position before continuing on his way. Han groaned, shifting to his knees as he saw the Troopers drawing closer. He squeezed the trigger, feeling the power of Chewie’s weapon vibrate through him with every shot. The men scattered and took cover, forced to halt and make their stand from several meters away. He’d hold them off for as long as he could.

With nothing left to lose he thought of Ben. He wasn’t sure where his son was, or if he’d managed to escape the base some other way. Was Rey with him? Was she dead? Or was it Ben falling into the bottomless pit just below that bridge they’d stood on? Leia would tell him to hold onto hope. There was always a chance.

Han didn’t used to believe in things like faith or hope. He’d cast those words aside along with stories about wizards and the Force. Then an old man made arrangements for him and Chewie for a trip to Alderaan. He’d watched a Jedi Master tell Luke stories about the unseen energy pulling the strings. He met a Princess and fell in love. He fought an Empire and helped save a galaxy. Marriage, a son, the building of a Republic, and so much more. His life blurred into impossible stories; stories that he never would have believed before that old man made arrangements for a trip to Alderaan.

Han clung to hope. He hoped for his son. Hell, he even hoped for Rey. He had faith in his friends, like Chewie. He had faith in the Resistance and their fight against the First Order. He kept shooting. He refused to give up the fight. Old or not, he wasn’t going to give up and roll over. The chill seeped into his legs as they grew wet from the snow, his toes were mostly numb by now. He never stopped firing. Not once.

A shudder down below him was his only warning, and Han guessed that the base was tearing apart. Han’s eyes widened as a giant rip in the earth passed between him and the Stormtroopers. It felt like fate as it expanded into an enormous gully before his eyes. Solo almost laughed, staggering to his feet and backing away from the cliff’s edge. Stormtroopers rushed off back to their base, realizing that their cause was lost. In the darkness a light shined through the forest from up above, and when he turned towards it he knew he was going home.

*~*~*

Her husband was limping down the ramp, taking his time to avoid undue pain. His skin was full of wrinkles, hair a grey mess pointing in all directions, and his eyes had gone a little gray around the edges. What Leia saw when she looked at the old man, was the dashing scoundrel with a charming smile. His rugged looks, witty comebacks, and natural swagger still took her breath away. There used to be a princess that didn’t trust Han Solo could be the man he was today. She’d thought he would leave her, hurt her, make life nothing more than a constant fight. Sometimes he did leave, but he always came back. Sometimes he hurt her, but he always apologized. And sometimes they fought, but they never went to bed angry. That silly princess hadn’t a clue the gift she’d been given when she met Han. Leia was no silly princess anymore.

The moment he finally reached her she jumped into his arms. She regretted it for a moment when she felt him tense up from the pain. When she tried to pull back and apologize, he just held onto her tighter, and shot her a pleasant smile. “Hey there, your worship.”

Leia rolled her eyes. “Ben arrived in a TIE fighter just before you came. I was worried,” she admitted.

Han’s eyebrows shot up. “Ben’s okay then?”

She nodded. “More than okay… he has Rey. We’re keeping her sedated for now. He says she’s still dangerous.”

“But he got her away from Snoke… that’s something, I guess.”

She was so proud of her boys, both heroes in their own right. Ben Solo with such a selfless and forgiving heart. Han Solo stubborn and determined to finish the job and fight for Leia’s cause. Her family. He leaned down and kissed her, just a quick peck. “You okay?”

Han winced, glancing down at the leg he’d been limping with. “Actually… I feel terrible.”

“Nothing ever changes….”

*~*~*

It felt like ages since the last time Poe Dameron was still. Adrenaline from the dog fight above Starkiller base had finally faded away, and his eyelids were getting tired. He knew it was late. A sane person would be in bed by now, or enjoying a proper drink in celebration of their win. Poe wasn’t in the mood for any of those things. Hands traced the ridges of his own jacket, Finn’s jacket. It was cold to the touch, Finn’s blood caked over scorch marks from blasters. He was still alive, at least, that was something to be grateful for.

Finn looked different when he was sleeping. The bacta suit was healing his wounds slowly, and he couldn’t help wondering how long before those brave brown eyes revealed themselves again. He missed his friend. It was stupid to be worried. It wasn’t like he hadn’t lost other friends today. Some of those men, he’d flown with for years, and they didn’t even have a body to take home. So why was he sitting next to an ex-Stormtrooper, hoping for just one more win?

He heard the door slide open with a hiss, and twisted around to see Ben Solo at the entrance. He looked every bit the regal son of a Princess, but his smile screamed scoundrel. Han and Leia had some impressive genes, and Ben hadn’t a clue how intimidating he could be. “It’s a bit late, isn’t it?” he questioned.

Ben took that as his cue to walk over beside Poe, grabbing an extra chair so he could sit beside the pilot. Solo’s eyes surveyed Finn’s unconscious form before he settled on the man sitting beside him. “Funny, I was going to ask you the same question.”

“He doesn’t really have too many friends. I just thought… if he woke up… he should see someone familiar, you know?” It was a weak excuse, the same excuse he’d told himself when he arrived. His hands tightened around Finn’s jacket as he turned away from the Jedi. He felt like an idiot and he just really couldn’t figure out why. “What brings you here?”

Ben paused for a moment, his gaze returning to Finn. “He did it for you.”

“Huh?” Poe shifted, a little uncomfortable.

“You heard me.”

“Did what for me?” Poe questioned, dropping the Resistance jacket like it was on fire. Everything telling him he should be sleeping. His own weariness was making him feel… vulnerable? He wasn’t even sure anymore. He’d won today. They’d saved the Resistance. Finn would be fine. What the hell did he have to feel vulnerable about?

“He helped my father shut down the shields because he wanted to make you proud. Finn wanted to run, but he didn’t.”

“And look where it got him,” Poe pointed out with a huff. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he left after this. He did more for us than he had to. This never had to be his fight. Just escaping them was a victory, if ya ask me.”

Ben nodded, smiling. “It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah.”

The two men sat in silence for a long time. Poe still wasn’t sure what Ben was doing beside him in the first place. Dameron was well aware not far from this room, Rey Kenobi lay on her own bed being medically sedated. She was dangerous to have on base, but Solo had brought her anyway. He was determined to save the girl from Snoke. After what Poe had endured at her hands, he wasn’t so sure that was possible. He still felt a little rattled having felt her rip open his mind. She really wasn’t the merciful type.

Did Ben want to talk about her? It wasn’t like the Jedi had many friends to turn to. He had rarely spoken to anyone besides his parents since Rey betrayed the Jedi. Poe could see so much of his mother in him; he’d been determined to set things right. Nothing and no one mattered after Rey joined Snoke. Now it was as if Ben had exited the fog to realize other people existed. Poe wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” Ben told him, breaking their silence. “Everything was so clear. I just needed to find her. I needed her back. Now that I’ve done that, I’m not sure what to do next. Uncle Luke would know.”

Poe nodded. “I heard the General was working on that. She thinks the rest of the map is in R2-D2.” 

“She’s nervous about Rey being here. She’s seen the dark side close up. It was twisted and heart-breaking. My mother has no desire to face it again.”

Dameron couldn’t blame her. He glanced over at Finn. His hands ached to pick up the jacket. It already smelled like Finn. He wasn’t sure why that was comforting. “I think we all got a little taste of what the dark side looks like today. I’d trust the General’s judgement.”

“As well you should, Poe. I… I wish I was free to do the same,” the Jedi admitted, his kind smile crumbling fast. When the pilot looked up he could see the eyes of a man even more exhausted than he was. The burden of the Jedi was something he’d never been envious of. Poe could only imagine what he was thinking at this moment. It got too painful to look at Ben. He turned away and focused on Finn. His friend, at least, looked peaceful as he slept.

“You love her, don’t you?” he found himself asking. He remembered telling Finn about the stories of Rey and Ben. They mostly talked about how she’d betrayed her friends, and her mentor. It had never occurred to him that she might have also been betraying a lover too.

Ben’s laugh was quiet, a faint rumble beside the pilot. “How could I not? Must be a family trait. Skywalkers have never been that lucky at love.”

“General Organa did okay,” Poe argued, with deep respect to Han Solo, ex-smuggler and all.

“Yes well, you weren’t around for everything in between. My mother may love my father deeply, but trust me… I think it’s in her nature to be drawn towards conflict. Perhaps that’s what happens when you’re born into blood and chaos. The daughter of an Empire… child of darkness and broken promises.” When Poe turned to look at Ben, his eyes were staring off and empty. He didn’t want to know what the Jedi was remembering.

“Even if love is messy, I think it’s always worth it.” The pilot felt an itch again, to reach down and grab Finn’s jacket. He didn’t know what to do with his hands.

“You’re right, Poe. It is worth it,” Ben agreed. He’d snapped out of it, returned to the present. The Jedi shifted in his chair and leaned over towards Finn. “Finn certainly thought so… or he wouldn’t have stayed.”

Poe frowned, glancing down at Finn and back at Solo. “I… I’m not sure I get your meaning.” Ben rolled his eyes, ducking down to pick up the jacket and drop it in Poe’s hands. It was damaged, burnt, and stained with Finn’s blood, but it made him feel better. Dameron wasn’t quite sure why his hands were so grateful to have it back. He gazed back at the Jedi, leaning away. “Look… maybe you should stay outta his head.”

“Or maybe I should stay out of yours,” Ben added, his look apologetic. “Goodnight, Dameron.”

Poe watched Solo stand up, walking away with the same poise in which he’d entered. He found himself speechless, unable to respond, when the other man finally left the room. Twisting back to face Finn, the pilot felt something tug at his chest. That peculiar feeling he’d gotten when he’d gave Finn his jacket. That strange pull when Finn had told Poe he needed a pilot. What was he supposed to call that feeling? He dared not dig too deep. It didn’t stop him from leaning forward to kiss Finn’s forehead, and drop a hand to his friend’s shoulder. He was really tired, maybe he ought to finally get some sleep.

*~*~*

She wasn’t accustomed to talking to R2-D2, at least, certainly not since he powered down. However, it occurred to Leia that the little droid had been in her life a long time, and not once did he refuse to do his duty. Now seemed as good as any to try and bring him back. She cleared her mind and thought about the Force, how it flowed through every living thing… even the mechanical ones. She wondered if it could reach R2. “You’re my son’s only hope,” she confessed with a sigh. “There’s nothing worse than feeling helpless when it comes to my own flesh and blood. He’s drifting without Luke’s guidance. He’s brought Rey back to us, but there’s still such a long way to go. So many wounds to heal, R2. You’ve never let us down before. Please, for me… one final mission. Bring back Luke.”

Leia wasn’t really sure if the droid could hear her or not. She probably was ridiculous to even try. Slowly, she dropped a hand over the smooth metal dome of it’s head, with fondness and affection. She could feel it’s scraps and scorch marks like a tactile story of missions and memories collected on his surface. Strange to think how much that droid had seen. Always with the Skywalkers, the most loyal being she’d ever known. Perhaps it’d been made for her family especially, a little piece of her father to live on and support them all.

Bail Organa once told her the droid had been owned by her father, her real father, not long before he’d died. He’d failed to explain that by ‘died,’ he’d meant turned evil and tried to take over the galaxy. Still, she never forgot R2-D2’s connection to her family. It stuck with her. It was why she trusted it with the Death Star plans all those years ago. Even then, it had been a hero, her hero. There was no doubt it would activate when she needed it the most. She had to believe that. The lateness of the hour weighed on her, and Leia pulled herself away from the droid. Perhaps they’d talk again in the morning.

*~*~*

It was early, and the base was especially quiet when loud beeps echoed and broke the silence. A golden protocol droid exclaimed in amazement as he was drawn to the noise. “R2-D2! You've come back! You found what? How dare you call me that!”

Ben frowned, having heard the commotion, just barely conscious after a rough night of tossing and turning. His legs were propped up on the dash of someone’s communication’s terminal. A skeleton crew usually took this shift, and the young Solo figured he’d do his part. If nothing else, it would get his mind off everything that had happened since Starkiller base.

“Find Master Luke how? Come, R2! We must go tell the others at once!”

The Jedi jumped out of his chair in a hurry, twisting around, because he knew something big was happening. That was Threepio and R2-D2 he was hearing, and all he’d needed to hear was Luke’s name. He hesitated at the console for a moment, because he hated the idea of waking anyone. Eventually he hit the comm to contact his mother’s personal line, and rolled his eyes when a man’s voice answered instead. “Father! We need the General down here, now! I think R2 is awake!”

“Uhhh, wha-”

“Luke Skywalker! Map to Luke Skywalker! Get mother down here!”

He shut off the comms just as C-3P0 entered the Resistance command center. The droid shuffled from the door followed by R2, but Ben didn’t let them get very far as he rushed toward them. Good news felt better than kaffe at this point. “Ah yes, Master Solo, we were wondering if we might speak with the General. Look, R2-D2 is back! Isn’t it wonderful?”

The Jedi laughed, properly, and it felt good. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually done that. “She’s coming! I just called her!” he assured the golden droid, before leaning down so he could properly face R2. “Please tell me you have it… the rest of the map!”

R2 beeped in the affirmative, making Ben’s smile widen. He couldn’t believe it. All this time and it was there… in R2-D2, just waiting for the right time. Perhaps it was the Force, or Rey’s return, or even Master Luke himself. The younger Solo didn’t give a damn why it chose to awaken now. All he knew was that finally… _finally_ he’d be able to help Rey properly. It was the only way he could heal the damage Snoke inflicted on her mind and heart. The Skywalker and Kenobi families would be whole once again.

It didn’t take long for General Organa to arrive, followed closely by Han Solo, and Poe Dameron. The three seemed just as eager as Ben to see where Luke had disappeared to. Each one encouraged the old droid to share it’s knowledge with the group. Ben watched R2-D2 roll over to the middle of the command center, lights flickered as the projector lens came to life. A larger navigational map appeared over their heads, and the Jedi stood astounded as he followed the jumps from system to system. A large piece was still missing, but Ben had seen the shape before.

Little BB-8 peeked out from behind Dameron’s legs; Ben hadn’t noticed it before, and beeped at it’s owner as it rolled towards R2. Poe leaned down to look at the droid, eyebrows wrinkled in confusion at first, before he realized what the orange and white droid was asking for. “Yeah, all right, buddy, hold on!” Poe rushed over to the base computer where his part of Luke’s map had been stored, pulling it out and placing it back inside BB-8. The other droid immediately projected the contents, lining it up with R2’s map. It became one large, and complete map, with all the information Ben would need to find his uncle.

Everyone was smiling, staring in wonder as they realized what it all meant. Having Luke would be good for the Resistance, would bring back hope for the Jedi, and maybe… maybe bring back Rey. “Uncle Luke,” Ben whispered, never having felt more relieved in his life.

“The map! It’s complete!” cried Threepio.

“Well kid… I guess you got some packing to do,” Han Solo called out, looking over at his son, one arm casually draped over Leia Organa’s shoulders.

Ben turned to his father, not quite sure how to put into words what he was feeling. He just gave a short nod and turned back to the map. Now this… _this_ felt like a win. It wouldn’t be easy, but he knew it was best for Rey. He felt it. Luke needed to face what he’d done, to help Rey see the truth, and find some peace between her family and his. Together, he and his uncle would bring Rey back, and learn what they needed to defeat Snoke for good. This was just the beginning.

*~*~*

Saying goodbye was never easy, especially for Ben. He’d been lucky, he supposed. He had family that loved him, friends that supported him, and the Force to guide him through the perils ahead. It wasn’t every day that Han Solo gave up the Millennium Falcon, not even for his son. It felt like he was passing a torch, entrusting Ben with the future, not so eager for the adventure in his old age.

‘ _Take it… I want you to take her, Ben. A Solo should be in that piloting chair… and I say you fit the bill nicely.’_

Ben took a deep breath, glancing over at Rey. Her eyes refusing to meet his gaze. They were burning holes into the stars, empty of the hatred he’d seen so many times before, but not yet Rey… still too much Kyla Ren. She was allowed no weapons, and he kept his own lightsaber close. He knew she still couldn’t be trusted. He could feel her anxiety, her sense of loss at being torn away from Snoke, but he took it well that she’d yet to fight him. He wanted to say something to her. He knew better, but the urge rose deep within from the pit of his chest where his heart used to beat. The silence between them felt like punishment, her unwavering defiance. 

It would take most of the night to reach Ahch-To. That much quiet would surely cause his ears to bleed. “Rey-”

“Don’t,” she interrupted. He watched her swallow hard, still refusing to look at him. “I… I’m not ready.”

He didn’t really care what she was ready for. Perhaps he was a bit more like his father than he’d realized. “Ready for what, Rey?”

She shook her head. “For this… for you.”

At least she was being honest with him finally. There was so much conflict in her eyes. The dark side had a way of making everything unclear. She was still afraid, so angry, and he wondered how long before she finally came to some peace. Maybe he was just fooling himself, but his family was good at beating the odds. “When you were sleeping… did you still have the nightmares?” he asked, unable to turn away from her, even if she refused to meet his gaze. 

Rey closed her eyes for a second too long, her breath shaky and ragged. “I dreamed… about you.”

“And I hurt you?” he pressed, feeling his stomach twist. He wasn’t sure why he was so eager to know her pain, especially when he was still the monster ripping at her soul. She still didn’t have a clue how deeply he cared for her. _‘Patience… destiny always finds a way.’_

Rey shook her head, looking down at her hands. Her thumb pressed against her palm, rubbing hard as if it was sore. Perhaps she just needed to keep them occupied. “You were…” Rey paused and licked dry lips. Finally, she turned her head and met his gaze. “We were making love.”

Ben was speechless, quite certain he was hearing things, but the redness in her cheeks said otherwise. Without Snoke’s influence, perhaps she’d finally seen what he’d been trying to tell her all along. It seemed as unexpected to her as it was to him. Rey turned away again, trying to look busy even though there wasn’t much to do. He decided it was best to turn back toward the stars. They had all night before they faced the old wounds still keeping her in the shadows. It wouldn’t be easy, but her dreams gave him hope. It gave him purpose. The Force had something special planned for them all, and he would follow the path where ever it took him. “One day, Rey… that’s a dream I really do hope comes true.”

**The End (For Now….)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re still so far away from “The Last Jedi” and I’m really curious to see where that story goes. It might inspire me to continue this universe, or maybe I’ll even add something sooner. I just really liked the idea of flipping the universe upside down, my own fix!it fic. This was a bit of a practice run for me before I wrote something more complicated. I have another story I’m working on that’s basically what I’d love to see moving forward with the original movie. Thank you so much to those who gave me kudos or comments. I do appreciate it, especially since I’ve only just started writing fiction again after a very long time away from fandom. All the love!


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